tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-733820009445768852017-10-23T03:47:05.915-07:00Isabel Northwode CostumesIsabel Northwodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599702965185090050noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73382000944576885.post-6339278146264011792016-07-30T08:45:00.001-07:002016-07-30T08:47:01.897-07:00Updates on the Tudor KirtleA few weeks ago I made some updates to my Tudor kirtle before heading to Newark Castle in Port Glasgow, a sixteenth-century manor house which has survived and been partially restored inside.<br /><br />The main update consisted of beginning the process of lining the skirt with fur. I'm using cheap old thrift coats for this, and I've only gotten my hands on one so far, so only the back part of the skirt is lined. However, it already creates a nice effect!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-89_28oSeabw/V5yu04A_8BI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/8gpEuXLFEss_ldzFotPx_ZYPJ82nBHOxwCEw/s1600/LYVF7185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-89_28oSeabw/V5yu04A_8BI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/8gpEuXLFEss_ldzFotPx_ZYPJ82nBHOxwCEw/s640/LYVF7185.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The image on the left is from the Book of Hours of Henry VIII (c. 1500), f. 182v.&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><br />I had a bunch of fun wandering around the castle, and had a chance to sing Henry VIII's 'Pastime With Good Company' in the restored main hall. Here's a video:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowFullScreen='true' webkitallowfullscreen='true' mozallowfullscreen='true' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dziyZtLMahP2ujNVBESFtgWLDh3PxRm79sqs8gqthLZ5u2ye2jh2P1u2mLuEWh3RPJbUY6kwjAH7kAvPvMEsA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' FRAMEBORDER='0' /></div><br />I plan to line the skirt all the way up the back, and at least half of the front, because at the moment the heavy weight just at the bottom of the skirt is putting a lot of stress on the point where it attaches to the bodice. I think that having the fur rolled into the pleats will help distribute the weight.<br /><br />I'm a little torn between keeping the fur in the kirtle, now that I've put it in, and saving it for a future gown skirt and re-lining the kirtle with some wool or linen. I might do the latter, simply because the fur is precious. Or I could have both the gown and kirtle lined with fur... The main idea with lining the kirtle in fur was that it will protect the train as it drags on the ground, since fur is easier to wipe down than nice wool and velvet.<br /><br />But anyway, here are some photos. =)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pt0Lw1y5Fds/V5yvE9NqPdI/AAAAAAAAA1Y/bt-PzNh27kMxwXTEkLA6ORiJTm5V5dJKwCEw/s640/IMG_0837.JPG" width="512" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0M1kcNaQUdc/V5zEyNX1hQI/AAAAAAAAA2A/b9Zp4keikgA2Ye8rxJbnu7wszqBTwHbGQCLcB/s1600/IMG_0843.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0M1kcNaQUdc/V5zEyNX1hQI/AAAAAAAAA2A/b9Zp4keikgA2Ye8rxJbnu7wszqBTwHbGQCLcB/s640/IMG_0843.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the restored hall.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M9MmMdkpKig/V5zEy_bzN3I/AAAAAAAAA2M/Zy7O2FRkRLAE0BW0TZcm07Pi0kzFLT42gCLcB/s640/IMG_0846.JPG" width="360" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZT8G_Y9jOeg/V5zExdcUl3I/AAAAAAAAA10/xtEnzqsKVCoX_7esxs603h-daFiAMEWUgCEw/s640/IMG_0839.JPG" width="360" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z7Yout2qKos/V5zEyTEAO8I/AAAAAAAAA2I/0Mf2zacZ_EMtYaUY6X-l72-mjUFaRX16QCEw/s640/IMG_0845.JPG" width="360" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uD1x_GHnLr8/V5zEwjnt6qI/AAAAAAAAA1o/83VSHrp_IPc59TvH_lazu7OXpe_5KF0BACEw/s640/IMG_0836.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="372" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is in the older, 15th century part of the castle.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B4McjltdX1Y/V5zEy1m9K0I/AAAAAAAAA2U/w53ijnYNE1A29Gz9ZOYIYtPn9mdK3MjswCEw/s640/IMG_0848.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="360" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My straps started to fall down, and I left them because I was getting a headache. Alas.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uBmEZgRcSr0/V5zFn5almSI/AAAAAAAAA2o/kzxc6Sr8PCswAhNen2CLL5mk3mUcuuZ_gCLcB/s1600/IMG_0831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uBmEZgRcSr0/V5zFn5almSI/AAAAAAAAA2o/kzxc6Sr8PCswAhNen2CLL5mk3mUcuuZ_gCLcB/s640/IMG_0831.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The castle, in the midst of modern construction around it.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Isabel Northwodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599702965185090050noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73382000944576885.post-38083016456865681172016-07-11T15:22:00.000-07:002016-07-12T16:03:56.236-07:00The Versailles Ball, and HSF TravelSo, as anyone who follows <a href="http://facebook.com/isabelnorthwodecostumes" target="_blank">my facebook</a> has known for quite some time, on May 30th I was privileged to attend the Fêtes Galantes at the Palace of Versailles. This post has taken a very long time in coming, which I'm very sorry for, but I've been very busy with my masters and I just haven't had time to do a proper post!<br /><br />As always, an image to start:<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cuQUj1tn-qo/V4QJ6HY7MYI/AAAAAAAAAwo/N1X_BOpPZbQWIYzBjGezC2ygmsrMJwP_QCLcB/s1600/IMG_0370-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cuQUj1tn-qo/V4QJ6HY7MYI/AAAAAAAAAwo/N1X_BOpPZbQWIYzBjGezC2ygmsrMJwP_QCLcB/s640/IMG_0370-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo arranged by Raven of <a href="http://plaidpetticoats.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Plaid Petticoats</a></td></tr></tbody></table>I love this shot! Raven wanted to evoke Annie Leibowitz's Vogue shoot for Marie Antoinette, and I think she did a fabulous job. Our instructions were "look bored," haha. I am in the sage green gown in the centre. To my right are Emma, in dark blue, and Alana, in pink satin brocade. I draped both of their gowns, and did much of the stitching on both.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br />Now, before I talk about the process of getting ready for the ball, I wanted to share a little bit of context on this gown, because taking it to France was actually quite special to me. The gown was created to tell the story of one Nova Scotian woman who was forced from her home in Acadia in the 1740s, and took refuge in France. Wearing the gown there felt like an important part of its story. In addition, I posted this gown on the Historical Sew-Fortnightly for the Travel challenge - I didn't actually enter it in the challenge, as it was mostly made some time ago, but I did want to share the travel-laden story that goes with it.<br /><br />The gown is my <a href="http://isabelnorthwode.blogspot.co.uk/p/the-louisbourg-gown-and-stomacher.html" target="_blank">c. 1740s Robe a la Francaise and embroidered stomacher</a>, modelled on <a href="http://collections.lacma.org/node/214636" target="_blank">one in the collection of the LACMA</a>, and chosen because of its similarity to the gowns listed in the death inventory of Dame Marie-Josephe Le Borgne de Belle Isle, of Louisbourg. It was made and initially worn in Marie's birthplace of Nova Scotia, Canada.<br /><br />Marie was the highest-ranking woman at the Fortress of Lousibourg (in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia) in the 1740s, with close ties both within the town and to surrounding communities. She had an impressive lineage: she was descended from French noble houses on both sides of her family, claiming a number of seigneurial lords of New France, as well as two Governors of Acadia, among her recent ancestors, and her mother was the daughter of Chief Madokawando of the Penobscot of Pentagoët. She married twice in Louisbourg; once to a respected civil administrator of the town and afterwards to Lord Joseph Du Pont Duvivier. Between these two marriages, she had nine children, at least four of whom survived to adulthood.<br /><br />Given her strong ancestral and communal ties to Louisbourg and Acadia, the Siege of Louisbourg and the resulting expulsion of the Acadians in 1745 must have been devastating. Marie packed up her children and her belongings, and undertook the voyage to France along with many other members of her once-thriving community. The voyage would have been dangerous, and the outlook bleak - especially when she lost her first husband, soon after the tumult began. Yet in 1749, when Louisbourg was returned to French hands, Marie found the strength to once again pack up her children and her life and sail back to the New World. She remarried in 1750 and immersed herself as a pillar of the Acadian community at Louisbourg until her death from illness in 1754. In some ways her death at this time is a blessing, as she did not live to see the second siege of Louisbourg in 1758, which ended when the residents were once again expelled and the town was purposefully burnt to the ground. This event effectively ended French occupancy of the Maritimes, although the Acadian culture remains to this day.<br /><br />Marie's travels are unlikely to have taken her to Versailles, despite her aristocratic connections and the time she spent in France, but when I had the opportunity to wear my "Louisbourg" gown to the ball in May it felt a bit like I was completing a part of the story the gown was created to tell. The gown is not a travelling suit - a riding habit or a redingote or anything particularly practical - but in many ways travel has defined it: my own travels, but more importantly the travel forced on Marie and her family, and on the entire Acadian community.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Ball</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HXXWmiVYYAE/V4QLJ4qqhuI/AAAAAAAAAw0/jeiISFK4H74uA5lTqT8tOnNrzizH1qUKwCLcB/s1600/IMG_0372-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HXXWmiVYYAE/V4QLJ4qqhuI/AAAAAAAAAw0/jeiISFK4H74uA5lTqT8tOnNrzizH1qUKwCLcB/s640/IMG_0372-3.jpg" width="454" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It looks like a painting! I'm so happy with how these came out.</td></tr></tbody></table>Getting ready for our own travels was a pretty hectic business. It started back in the fall, with drafting and making stays for Alana. Alana has never sewn before, and she was an enthusiastic learner but given the time-crunch Emma and I made the stays for her, and much of the gown. She sewed her hoops all on her own, with some guidance from Emma, and did a great job! We're getting her hooked on reenacting so I'm sure she'll have lots to practice on in the future. =)<br /><br />Here's Alana's draping process - first a photo of her wearing her stays with her hoops and Emma's candy-cane/circus petticoat (100% linen! 100% amazing!), over which I have draped her bodice lining. The second photo shows the process of draping the gown itself. This was Alana's first gown and she wasn't sure if she'd like it, so we've used a poly satin. I WOULD NOT recommend this, ever. Even for a beginner gown - or rather, <i>especially</i> for a beginner gown. Silk taffeta goes together like a dream. Poly satin is a fraying, drooping, wrinkling, hell-spawned mess. *Ahem*<br /><br />But she looks lovely, no?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nfrqUoVnQYI/V4QNERaPh_I/AAAAAAAAAxg/pAX_Qm8sN8YNlwiZE6fzSBVLaV6UvHJGgCLcB/s1600/IFBY6128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nfrqUoVnQYI/V4QNERaPh_I/AAAAAAAAAxg/pAX_Qm8sN8YNlwiZE6fzSBVLaV6UvHJGgCLcB/s320/IFBY6128.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m_nDe4ikBko/V4QNXe1_yNI/AAAAAAAAAxs/EvVLI0wjdE06cvFDSMs1IwtrV1vaAr7AQCLcB/s1600/IMG_9917.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m_nDe4ikBko/V4QNXe1_yNI/AAAAAAAAAxs/EvVLI0wjdE06cvFDSMs1IwtrV1vaAr7AQCLcB/s320/IMG_9917.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />Emma used a gorgeous steel blue taffeta, and had her own stays and petticoats already, so her process was a lot faster and smoother. She's also a very experienced costumer, so we just spent a lot of evenings watching TV and handing bits of the gown back and forth to drape or stitch. This meant she had to spend a lot of time in her 18th century underwear, ready to have bits of gown draped on her, which resulted in this gem:<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nG9BWU1SFOo/V4QMzuEv_5I/AAAAAAAAAxw/NuKQ5kNQPzI6Q0SrxXhg3FJsM77zY3BPACKgB/s1600/IMG_9808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nG9BWU1SFOo/V4QMzuEv_5I/AAAAAAAAAxw/NuKQ5kNQPzI6Q0SrxXhg3FJsM77zY3BPACKgB/s400/IMG_9808.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#Cinderella</td></tr></tbody></table>Here's her draping process:<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A-FebY7Q7og/V4QMowlCJfI/AAAAAAAAAxo/hWB5KBtIphgkX23ipnDOMP2bAuPZ0x7DwCKgB/s1600/IMG_9802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A-FebY7Q7og/V4QMowlCJfI/AAAAAAAAAxo/hWB5KBtIphgkX23ipnDOMP2bAuPZ0x7DwCKgB/s320/IMG_9802.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Then front</td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kJ2J8fOO0us/V4QMoRVmh9I/AAAAAAAAAxo/MQ0bMSyF4Q0_qZ-HVL9ssk0o4RqrtKyFgCKgB/s1600/IMG_9731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kJ2J8fOO0us/V4QMoRVmh9I/AAAAAAAAAxo/MQ0bMSyF4Q0_qZ-HVL9ssk0o4RqrtKyFgCKgB/s320/IMG_9731.JPG" width="269" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back first</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K7ZyJFOey6g/V4QMo6-sxXI/AAAAAAAAAxo/X6DLRdU4YssSGGPTJIxm04ALG21AKj7qgCKgB/s1600/IMG_9799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K7ZyJFOey6g/V4QMo6-sxXI/AAAAAAAAAxo/X6DLRdU4YssSGGPTJIxm04ALG21AKj7qgCKgB/s320/IMG_9799.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pleats!</td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vqb9sDqogj4/V4QNLj6pp_I/AAAAAAAAAxw/JfAdD2h_uL8LqrRmjySrSeZL4AY0YeheQCKgB/s1600/IMG_9966.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vqb9sDqogj4/V4QNLj6pp_I/AAAAAAAAAxw/JfAdD2h_uL8LqrRmjySrSeZL4AY0YeheQCKgB/s320/IMG_9966.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally, sleeves.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I, unlike most people, apparently, don't actually mind draping or setting sleeves. I find them really satisfying, actually. Emma's took some fiddling, but they sat really nicely in the end.</div><br />Oh, and I made some shoes. Well, took apart and re-covered some 1940s shoes.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XO-nHnJdSI8/V4QMcYYcZpI/AAAAAAAAAxo/ZCGWVMbDS7wIlxmoKT7QbpdEeL-O_-kXQCKgB/s1600/IMG_9702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XO-nHnJdSI8/V4QMcYYcZpI/AAAAAAAAAxo/ZCGWVMbDS7wIlxmoKT7QbpdEeL-O_-kXQCKgB/s320/IMG_9702.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying out the look of the AD buckle</td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hD-7N5E8dCM/V4QM5dmYE3I/AAAAAAAAAxw/I3umkBOudzwIprHIdV7ZLbHjM0Y_wd78gCKgB/s1600/IMG_9856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hD-7N5E8dCM/V4QM5dmYE3I/AAAAAAAAAxw/I3umkBOudzwIprHIdV7ZLbHjM0Y_wd78gCKgB/s320/IMG_9856.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I used all stash silk! Also, I wore stockings to the ball. =P</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="text-align: center;"></span><span style="text-align: center;">Unfortunately, it rained almost the whole time we were in Paris. We got to wander around the first day, but as we'd taken the 22-hour overnight bus from Glasgow and arrived at about 6 a.m., we mostly just wanted to sleep. We did get to see the Louvre and a few other monuments first, though. Paris is beautiful - I can't wait to go back!</span><span style="text-align: center;"></span><br /><span style="text-align: center;"></span><br /><span style="text-align: center;">On the second day we wandered around Paris for one day in the 18th c. daywear we'd brought along, joined by our friend Adam, a sailor and sometime-Revolutionary of generally lower repute than we should probably be associating with. He dressed Alana up in some sailing clothes and we went out on the town.</span><br /><br /><span style="text-align: center;"></span> <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yQu_hwbSInc/V4QQ7MAIYmI/AAAAAAAAAx4/dKJnrpTXkE8cnaib3g6NSHAza9k1-8G2QCLcB/s1600/IMG_0292.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yQu_hwbSInc/V4QQ7MAIYmI/AAAAAAAAAx4/dKJnrpTXkE8cnaib3g6NSHAza9k1-8G2QCLcB/s640/IMG_0292.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the left: Adam, Emma, myself, and Alana&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table>We had fun stealing swings from children and taking the metro.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2DncGTnJjw/V4QRTva1HJI/AAAAAAAAAx8/CWKfgEkznvYQRJRhqgMc08AkOws0f58AACLcB/s1600/IMG_0293.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2DncGTnJjw/V4QRTva1HJI/AAAAAAAAAx8/CWKfgEkznvYQRJRhqgMc08AkOws0f58AACLcB/s400/IMG_0293.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Also: ice cream</span></div></td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w8eQXgpwLmE/V4QRU51SRxI/AAAAAAAAAyA/WIhY3OjfbN8CMb4o6gpiZ-KdrmQDciEBgCLcB/s1600/20160529_194503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w8eQXgpwLmE/V4QRU51SRxI/AAAAAAAAAyA/WIhY3OjfbN8CMb4o6gpiZ-KdrmQDciEBgCLcB/s400/20160529_194503.jpg" width="231" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The metro is fun in 18th century clothing</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y6rhv3f4rrk/V4QRsVA7kcI/AAAAAAAAAyE/IAD9MfYw8wA3oxC9cuewaiJ4RARTS8OAgCLcB/s1600/received_10154162974125050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y6rhv3f4rrk/V4QRsVA7kcI/AAAAAAAAAyE/IAD9MfYw8wA3oxC9cuewaiJ4RARTS8OAgCLcB/s640/received_10154162974125050.jpg" width="443" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And then it rained. This is a period umbrella method!</td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i0gRn1TZ65Q/V4QX_W-Ae7I/AAAAAAAAA0g/8jusCNY2ENoGqQcFcnf1eCcLUPo5nwcwwCLcB/s1600/Met398356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i0gRn1TZ65Q/V4QX_W-Ae7I/AAAAAAAAA0g/8jusCNY2ENoGqQcFcnf1eCcLUPo5nwcwwCLcB/s400/Met398356.jpg" width="293" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Met Museum 53.600.588(60), 1746 - "Espéce de Parapluye"&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span><span style="text-align: center;">The following day was the ball, and we spent all day getting ready. We got down to the wire at the end, but we made it!</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-79lmiXKHOB4/V4QR4DgOkQI/AAAAAAAAAyM/esicV9XNcR8Dn42jUa3f8F8kRqMY-fONgCLcB/s400/IMG_0311.jpg" width="300" /></div><br />Emma working her hair magic while I sew a Revolutionary cockade to Adam's hat. Also yes, I put on my petticoat and bedgown for getting ready. That's what they're for!<br /><br />Here's the result of Emma's efforts (all the powder!):<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8TLKznnpB5c/V4QSTHS7xNI/AAAAAAAAAzY/aigrwGV_nyo2x_B5Zq5Sj_PUpwC45pocwCKgB/s400/IMG_0502.JPG" width="400" /></div><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M08xJmLWyu8/V4QSJTn7bJI/AAAAAAAAAyQ/An5kVMnknecewkTZ20AIJlMd5-hBENWtQCLcB/s1600/20160530_200651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M08xJmLWyu8/V4QSJTn7bJI/AAAAAAAAAyQ/An5kVMnknecewkTZ20AIJlMd5-hBENWtQCLcB/s400/20160530_200651.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dancing in the Hall of Mirrors</td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0ueCvotGwK8/V4QSaew1oyI/AAAAAAAAAyo/vwlYKDb-OcYmNDV20SxrrwDpGU3JNpZwACLcB/s1600/WP_20160530_22_58_42_Rich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0ueCvotGwK8/V4QSaew1oyI/AAAAAAAAAyo/vwlYKDb-OcYmNDV20SxrrwDpGU3JNpZwACLcB/s640/WP_20160530_22_58_42_Rich.jpg" width="361" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The grand staircase - one of my favourite photos</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nIH08ftw_nU/V4QSyurHBZI/AAAAAAAAAzA/flyE6VKk6GsKlUNGQldAWCy5ya-KzijCgCKgB/s1600/IMG_0348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nIH08ftw_nU/V4QSyurHBZI/AAAAAAAAAzA/flyE6VKk6GsKlUNGQldAWCy5ya-KzijCgCKgB/s640/IMG_0348.jpg" width="419" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The three ladies</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gI9BHNZLaPM/V4QSXZsbKxI/AAAAAAAAAzY/U_TvWEHqj9M8DepUr6PZ_1B6b6nJP1W0wCKgB/s1600/WP_20160530_21_01_40_Rich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gI9BHNZLaPM/V4QSXZsbKxI/AAAAAAAAAzY/U_TvWEHqj9M8DepUr6PZ_1B6b6nJP1W0wCKgB/s640/WP_20160530_21_01_40_Rich.jpg" width="368" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Revolutionaries don't smile</td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a3ijBq_L3wg/V4QSgIkwCAI/AAAAAAAAAzY/j5yVgGhJWkcsD_K8UyXQVlFpzXCAAbr_gCKgB/s1600/WP_20160530_23_34_17_Rich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a3ijBq_L3wg/V4QSgIkwCAI/AAAAAAAAAzY/j5yVgGhJWkcsD_K8UyXQVlFpzXCAAbr_gCKgB/s400/WP_20160530_23_34_17_Rich.jpg" width="230" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I *love* the back of this gown!</td></tr></tbody></table><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_T1NsjZ055g/V4QSlcdF_4I/AAAAAAAAAzY/y2djJ9pUcZgVnXSC4dJdp9AChuu3MGPugCKgB/s1600/WP_20160530_23_53_20_Rich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_T1NsjZ055g/V4QSlcdF_4I/AAAAAAAAAzY/y2djJ9pUcZgVnXSC4dJdp9AChuu3MGPugCKgB/s640/WP_20160530_23_53_20_Rich.jpg" width="376" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GnGhBK-SuzM/V4QSc9Zj8tI/AAAAAAAAAzY/3LbteL6eKUguUvQAhADw0qk2-_nr8_zxQCKgB/s1600/WP_20160530_23_10_29_Rich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GnGhBK-SuzM/V4QSc9Zj8tI/AAAAAAAAAzY/3LbteL6eKUguUvQAhADw0qk2-_nr8_zxQCKgB/s640/WP_20160530_23_10_29_Rich.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The custard plates are hiding behind us on the window sill.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7mN5k-Q3QGc/V4QSsadNnaI/AAAAAAAAAzg/dFF_AMLEvRo5A49g_e-D-Q6KD9G2l1adQCKgB/s1600/IMG_0345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="468" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7mN5k-Q3QGc/V4QSsadNnaI/AAAAAAAAAzg/dFF_AMLEvRo5A49g_e-D-Q6KD9G2l1adQCKgB/s640/IMG_0345.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were joined by a big group of Emma's friends, who are historical dancers from Massachusetts.<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qlKECPcqOaU/V4QS5OZzg1I/AAAAAAAAAzg/du2WofuNXDUmp8mWNLM2jK4TFa-9cfXHgCKgB/s1600/IMG_0354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qlKECPcqOaU/V4QS5OZzg1I/AAAAAAAAAzg/du2WofuNXDUmp8mWNLM2jK4TFa-9cfXHgCKgB/s400/IMG_0354.jpg" width="230" /></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E7myETWpqyQ/V4QS4QedQnI/AAAAAAAAAzg/TJ7Bk-r2nKwL5L0y6JWuHlO1H_MIv-J4ACKgB/s1600/IMG_0355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E7myETWpqyQ/V4QS4QedQnI/AAAAAAAAAzg/TJ7Bk-r2nKwL5L0y6JWuHlO1H_MIv-J4ACKgB/s400/IMG_0355.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><br /><br /><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E7myETWpqyQ/V4QS4QedQnI/AAAAAAAAAzg/TJ7Bk-r2nKwL5L0y6JWuHlO1H_MIv-J4ACKgB/s1600/IMG_0355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oivlniq4eWo/V4QS5-lKKGI/AAAAAAAAAzg/uxaW99Os43MA8aPa1azHy9L5B4LoKGLJACKgB/s1600/IMG_0364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oivlniq4eWo/V4QS5-lKKGI/AAAAAAAAAzg/uxaW99Os43MA8aPa1azHy9L5B4LoKGLJACKgB/s400/IMG_0364.jpg" width="256" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C3vC2FBcLyw/V4QS4w5NAUI/AAAAAAAAAzg/cIH4MqV8px8UJLIt8n1EK7rRWg4JOhFDACKgB/s1600/IMG_0361.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C3vC2FBcLyw/V4QS4w5NAUI/AAAAAAAAAzg/cIH4MqV8px8UJLIt8n1EK7rRWg4JOhFDACKgB/s400/IMG_0361.jpg" width="246" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And finally, fireworks!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N0YgTqE3ypQ/V4QWYlkLmXI/AAAAAAAAAz4/d5wG4YIl3jYp5CMzHMxvbIlk6oUq4rhcQCLcB/s1600/WP_20160530_23_41_14_Rich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N0YgTqE3ypQ/V4QWYlkLmXI/AAAAAAAAAz4/d5wG4YIl3jYp5CMzHMxvbIlk6oUq4rhcQCLcB/s640/WP_20160530_23_41_14_Rich.jpg" width="380" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eLPCigriyu4/V4QWkKnILbI/AAAAAAAAAz8/PHQcODf1fmoVhQoiBIuo4ehC3WuAm6cGACLcB/s1600/IMG_0351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eLPCigriyu4/V4QWkKnILbI/AAAAAAAAAz8/PHQcODf1fmoVhQoiBIuo4ehC3WuAm6cGACLcB/s400/IMG_0351.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1HTI-TB8Yd0/V4QWti_mDgI/AAAAAAAAA0A/EmuvXWMnOYkvelHyMvgPTQdJVNa0O4TAwCLcB/s1600/IMG_0328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1HTI-TB8Yd0/V4QWti_mDgI/AAAAAAAAA0A/EmuvXWMnOYkvelHyMvgPTQdJVNa0O4TAwCLcB/s400/IMG_0328.jpg" width="300" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7UlNVhK2zBM/V4QXB1hEHII/AAAAAAAAA0M/-O6TEU3YgqkA4wypSghZc-bvs0e7p6dOwCLcB/s1600/IMG_0338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7UlNVhK2zBM/V4QXB1hEHII/AAAAAAAAA0M/-O6TEU3YgqkA4wypSghZc-bvs0e7p6dOwCLcB/s640/IMG_0338.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />It was pouring rain the whole time, so here's how some of Emma's friends kept dry - genius, but hilarious!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RA3YQ_1mJrA/V4QSQTylo5I/AAAAAAAAAzY/V6cTXFEQd9wRIp0CQff94HHT5rgHANHkwCKgB/s1600/IMG_0376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RA3YQ_1mJrA/V4QSQTylo5I/AAAAAAAAAzY/V6cTXFEQd9wRIp0CQff94HHT5rgHANHkwCKgB/s640/IMG_0376.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />T-rex dancers!<br /><br />Anyways, it was an amazing experience. I feel so lucky to have seen the Hall of Mirrors come alive as it was meant to - with people in incredible gowns, instead of just people in sweaty t-shirts and shorts and ballcaps. =P But really, I think it just feels a different way entirely. It's what it was built for.<br /><br />Thanks to my amazing travel-adventure-sewing buddies, who made this such a fun trip. Can't wait for more shenanigans!<br /><br /><br />Isabel Northwodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599702965185090050noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73382000944576885.post-22156740800245342362016-05-18T12:54:00.000-07:002016-12-05T05:58:42.693-08:00Beetlewing Ballgown and the Bath Victorian BallWell, it's been a week since we got back to Glasgow after the Victorian Ball in Bath, and it's high time I post some photos. I'll begin, as usual, with a photo of the finished ensemble:<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IDxDeSbMy5k/VzywnJ5B5RI/AAAAAAAAAqU/CdlcElj8iww3UoADiXgdR79SqOE_BDlngCLcB/s1600/TimeLight_VictorianBall_FULL%2BFILE_mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IDxDeSbMy5k/VzywnJ5B5RI/AAAAAAAAAqU/CdlcElj8iww3UoADiXgdR79SqOE_BDlngCLcB/s640/TimeLight_VictorianBall_FULL%2BFILE_mod.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo taken by the most obliging Lucas Pitcher of <a href="http://timelightphotographic.com/" target="_blank">TimeLight Photographic</a></td></tr></tbody></table>And here's one of the dancing (I should note that you can only see two thirds of the full height of the Assembly Rooms here - they're incredible!):<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bZ8hwMVG_7M/VzywnHjMedI/AAAAAAAAAqQ/ekuTSfYDmL0aDvfoMP1T6oZ5Y8PaDQLXwCLcB/s1600/IMG_9552.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bZ8hwMVG_7M/VzywnHjMedI/AAAAAAAAAqQ/ekuTSfYDmL0aDvfoMP1T6oZ5Y8PaDQLXwCLcB/s400/IMG_9552.JPG" width="318" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a little blurry because we're all in the midst of spinning round.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KvfUmapKnpU/Vzy8RlHYvXI/AAAAAAAAArw/OGEREVZ1DUo6PE_tFauVDA7Etz31EKxnwCKgB/s1600/KONG4819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KvfUmapKnpU/Vzy8RlHYvXI/AAAAAAAAArw/OGEREVZ1DUo6PE_tFauVDA7Etz31EKxnwCKgB/s400/KONG4819.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My bling - a pair of modern reproduction scarab earrings, and a real scarab ring from the 1880s!</td></tr></tbody></table>First things first - the gown is made of ivory cotton muslin, which is what most of the original beetlewing-embroidered gowns I found were made of. It's trimmed in a gold figured silk organza, the bodice is lined in cotton, and it's embroidered with gold silk and the elytra or wing shell casings of jewel beetles. Everything is stitched and embroidered by hand.<br /><br />This particular type of embroidery is traditional to India, where the beetles are found, and beetle-related embroidery has been used in cultures around the world for thousands of years. The jewel beetle elytra were first used in Europe in the late eighteenth century, as far as I can tell, and gained in popularity throughout the nineteenth. Indian artisans made gowns and textiles for the Western market, but home embroiderers are also known to have picked up the technique.<br /><br />There are a couple of little tweaks I'd like to make before I wear it again - the main thing will be to add some more hooks into the waistband to connect the bodice and skirt, or maybe just sew the two together, because it kept riding up when I lifted my little T-rex arms. But overall it came out really well - the hem was just the right length (thanks, Emma!), the bodice still fit (thanks, corset!), no beetlewings broke, came off, got snagged on things, or otherwise caused issues, and - best of all - I was not up late sewing the night before!!!<br /><div><br /></div><div>For those who follow me on instagram (@peryn.wn), you'll already have seen a lot of these photos, but I'll compile them all here to show the creation of the skirt. For the bodice, see <a href="http://isabelnorthwode.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/bath-ball-beetlewing-bodice.html" target="_blank">this post</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>The skirt hem is around 200" long, and is embroidered all the way around with a continuous vine of gold silk and jewel beetle elytra.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--T06WWYOMtg/VzyzPR_NDvI/AAAAAAAAAqo/0ny0r-yaHXI2jSu-B73Z58gLpLDxjA2sACKgB/s1600/IMG_6982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--T06WWYOMtg/VzyzPR_NDvI/AAAAAAAAAqo/0ny0r-yaHXI2jSu-B73Z58gLpLDxjA2sACKgB/s320/IMG_6982.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p4Wz698fpOs/VzyzPWbl9uI/AAAAAAAAAqg/CHFAUj770vYQlMfltahe7IQZcy7_EnhhQCLcB/s1600/IMG_8290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p4Wz698fpOs/VzyzPWbl9uI/AAAAAAAAAqg/CHFAUj770vYQlMfltahe7IQZcy7_EnhhQCLcB/s320/IMG_8290.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Here are the wings laid out on the muslin. At this point I thought I only had 500 wings to work with and was being very careful about spreading them out, but then I realised that past-me had anticipated this problem, and purchased 1000 wings instead of 500. Yay! I think I've used about 700-800 so far, but it's really hard to tell.<br /><br />The first step in the process is the gold silk embroidery. It took a while, but I got into a rhythm pretty quickly. I took it with me to a bunch of events and classes and just stitched away at it. The only consideration was being really careful with the ivory muslin - I've never worked with a fabric I've been so worried about dirtying before!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jsnfnSh3XWA/VzyzPrhfZLI/AAAAAAAAArE/E6abyrUl0Y462io38PjdTsvMOkCk0j3vgCKgB/s1600/IMG_8433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jsnfnSh3XWA/VzyzPrhfZLI/AAAAAAAAArE/E6abyrUl0Y462io38PjdTsvMOkCk0j3vgCKgB/s400/IMG_8433.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Here's an up-close photo showing how the beetle wings get attached. The first step is to steam each wing for 5 minutes (I put around 20 at a time in a paper towel in a veggie steamer over a pot of boiling water), and then trim it (this I did with nail clippers) and poke holes with a sewing or leather-working awl. I poked one hole in the top and one in the base of each wing. My friend Emma, who was going to the ball with me and helped with all my fittings, sat with me for three nights and just assembly-lined the beetle wings, for which I will be forever grateful.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HBcxHGrpOlQ/VzyzPhSiqlI/AAAAAAAAArE/4EDKrzxG-Q8JRUTgubIN-WZv3NWfjm3gACKgB/s1600/IMG_8807.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HBcxHGrpOlQ/VzyzPhSiqlI/AAAAAAAAArE/4EDKrzxG-Q8JRUTgubIN-WZv3NWfjm3gACKgB/s400/IMG_8807.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>The wings get basted down with one pass of regular thread, and then I stitch the gold silk thread down to hold them in place.<br /><div><br />Here's the front panel of the gown in progress. I'd like to add more to it - the little flying beetles you can see on the sketch above, for instance - but I'm pretty happy with how it came out and it was all I could do before the ball.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>The photo to the right was taken in the Newark Airport on my way home from Glasgow to Toronto just after easter. I had a 5-hour layover and their internet wasn't working, so I got a fair bit done on my gown.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>If you look closely, you'll see that I was being quite careful about where I used the small wings and where I used the larger ones, and also that all the wings are directional - right or left-leaning - to increase the flow and symmetry of the overall image.</div><div><br /></div><div>Removing the basting thread turned out to be the most dangerous part of the process, because it had been sewn through in a lot of places by the silk thread that went in on top of it. At this stage I broke two wings, which had to be replaced, and cracked two or three others, which seemed to be stitched in well enough that they were secure. Otherwise, the wings are incredibly strong and hardy little things.</div><div><br /></div><div>Emma endured an hour-long fitting to pleat the skirt into the waistband (so long because I wasn't feeling well and had to keep going to sit down, and also because there was a massive amount of yardage involved). Because the hem was already in place, with the embroidery around it, we had to be careful to pleat it in with the hem sitting exactly at the height from the floor that we wanted it. We knife-pleated it from either side of centre-front, with the pleats starting out wide and getting smaller and smaller towards the back. When they had reached about 1/8" at the side-back seams, Emma marked the proper height of the skirt and I cartridge-pleated the rest into place. This is seen on quite a number of 1840s gowns to deal with the volume at the back.</div><div><br /></div><div>Under my gown I wore:&nbsp;</div><div>- cotton pintucked chemise</div><div>- blue silk corset</div><div>- quilted rump</div><div>- corded organdy petticoat</div><div>- cotton organdy ruffled petticoat</div><div>- plain muslin petticoat (very kindly made for me by Emma - I would *not* have had time to make one!)</div><div>- white silk stockings</div><div>- black leather dancing slippers.</div><div><br /></div><div>I would really like to make a pair of green silk dancing slippers before next time. I have the perfect shot emerald-and-black taffeta for them...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Epz2mkGBBmA/VzyzPSqgADI/AAAAAAAAArE/10DV8q3tipMmRJa7Dg7-6QWSQS2DxKkLgCKgB/s1600/IMG_6851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Epz2mkGBBmA/VzyzPSqgADI/AAAAAAAAArE/10DV8q3tipMmRJa7Dg7-6QWSQS2DxKkLgCKgB/s400/IMG_6851.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div>Here's the organdy petticoat over the corded petti and rump. Please excuse the complete lack of chemise; I was getting really lazy in fittings by that point. (This was in the middle of end of term, and I had papers due, so I was basically just tossing on my corset every couple of evenings, doing as quick a fitting as we could, and working away.)</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rSZsHyJ6Sew/Vzy-fKjnNLI/AAAAAAAAAr8/o9S_PzSzSbweL_8-GNgymTj4rPndsGGIgCLcB/s1600/13138931_10153449239762001_8297533789892711589_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rSZsHyJ6Sew/Vzy-fKjnNLI/AAAAAAAAAr8/o9S_PzSzSbweL_8-GNgymTj4rPndsGGIgCLcB/s400/13138931_10153449239762001_8297533789892711589_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TU3cS88rj-o/VzyzQDuFG1I/AAAAAAAAArE/gtGFEpd65uYYpBEddGRxxQE4kP74-8-zwCKgB/s1600/IMG_9414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TU3cS88rj-o/VzyzQDuFG1I/AAAAAAAAArE/gtGFEpd65uYYpBEddGRxxQE4kP74-8-zwCKgB/s400/IMG_9414.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br />Then Emma and I wandered off to Bath with two ball gowns in a suitcase and a couple of bars of chocolate, and had a ball. =)</div><div><br /></div><div>Accessories worn with the gown:</div><div>- dead beetles of various descriptions</div><div>...okay, okay.</div><div>- antique 1880s scarab ring (real scarab!)</div><div>- modern reproduction scarab earrings (not real scarabs)</div><div>- rose hairpiece</div><div>- white gloves</div><div>- brass bracelet</div><div><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VeN7QtWKyIM/Vzy5yOJ63FI/AAAAAAAAArQ/4gMFaOzcrl8I7K-KphU9kRrK3xQqzo4vQCLcB/s1600/IMG_9422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VeN7QtWKyIM/Vzy5yOJ63FI/AAAAAAAAArQ/4gMFaOzcrl8I7K-KphU9kRrK3xQqzo4vQCLcB/s320/IMG_9422.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Made this rose headpiece the night before the ball.</td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tXWNU_JMfnA/Vzy5yLspo1I/AAAAAAAAArU/Ba7pMqSkJaUDZ9QkUOeZCrASS1iBDeTCgCLcB/s1600/IMG_9465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tXWNU_JMfnA/Vzy5yLspo1I/AAAAAAAAArU/Ba7pMqSkJaUDZ9QkUOeZCrASS1iBDeTCgCLcB/s320/IMG_9465.JPG" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emma's magical hair-wrangling powers at work.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wAmEwLWGLdA/Vz0FklaoFOI/AAAAAAAAAsk/w5gzAkL7JF8DcgfOneeeey7AygqRWEJFACLcB/s400/IMG_9453.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And the back of my hair, before we dressed for the ball</td></tr></tbody></table>So there you have it! It took a good few months, but I'm extremely happy with the result.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>I'll leave you with a photo of the original gowns I was inspired by, and a few more photos from the ball. My thanks to Emma (@elpforrest on instagram) for all her help on the gown and for going on adventures with me, and to Izabela and Lucas Pitcher (Prior Attire and TimeLight Photographic) for organizing the ball and making it such an awesome night. Here's to next year!</div><div><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/1e/bf/8c/1ebf8c88b2b90587d92f7af7065219d8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="377" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/1e/bf/8c/1ebf8c88b2b90587d92f7af7065219d8.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #8e8e8e; font-family: &quot;cambria&quot;; font-size: 12.672px; line-height: 17.7408px;">The dress on the left is at the Kyoto Costume Institute; I'm not sure where the one on the right ended up.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #8e8e8e; font-family: &quot;cambria&quot;; font-size: 12.672px; line-height: 17.7408px;">The photo is from the</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #8e8e8e; font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Cora Ginsburg LLC catalogue, 2000, p. 23.</span></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8SM0b-ePv0o/Vzy_HaVDMhI/AAAAAAAAAsE/QT9e7D6_oVYp90qnLCp2xq9T05bppfeKgCLcB/s1600/13100708_10153449240392001_8657562006429442683_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8SM0b-ePv0o/Vzy_HaVDMhI/AAAAAAAAAsE/QT9e7D6_oVYp90qnLCp2xq9T05bppfeKgCLcB/s400/13100708_10153449240392001_8657562006429442683_n.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another two-handed turn, apparently.</td></tr></tbody></table><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Haiev7WF3Qg/Vzy7ls-0-JI/AAAAAAAAArk/bOo4QB7t7G4Fa7tj36iLAF7x0Xpbzo2eQCLcB/s1600/20160507_224106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Haiev7WF3Qg/Vzy7ls-0-JI/AAAAAAAAArk/bOo4QB7t7G4Fa7tj36iLAF7x0Xpbzo2eQCLcB/s400/20160507_224106.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see almost the full height<br />of the Assembly Rooms here...</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rvTmTQeK2aw/Vzy7lhmhnZI/AAAAAAAAArs/7RuHlXob8IYkcWlzVfqK5x8VP1xgbdn2wCKgB/s400/IMG_9573.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Couldn't resist a bit of filter magic.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And to close out, here's one of Emma and I at the end of the night, exhausted but happy. And then we walked home in the rain, with two ball gowns in a suitcase. And it was wonderful.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_D2ZJLuK31s/VzzGMj-x0TI/AAAAAAAAAsU/uuYmVro9r5AUTRA43wTY-c4uYmCXqtxxQCLcB/s1600/Peryn%2Band%2BEmma_mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_D2ZJLuK31s/VzzGMj-x0TI/AAAAAAAAAsU/uuYmVro9r5AUTRA43wTY-c4uYmCXqtxxQCLcB/s640/Peryn%2Band%2BEmma_mod.jpg" width="392" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adventurers, Sewing Magicians, and T-Rex Princesses</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Isabel Northwodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599702965185090050noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73382000944576885.post-47166964714269718642016-02-01T13:58:00.001-08:002016-05-18T12:20:36.280-07:00Bath Ball Beetlewing BodiceOnce again, it's been forever since I've posted! Sorry about that. I post updates a lot more frequently on my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/IsabelNorthwodeCostumes/" target="_blank">facebook page</a> and my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/perynwn/" target="_blank">instagram</a>, but all the finished dress diaries will still go here. =)<br /><br />I've just finished making the bodice for my c. 1847-50 ball gown, which will be embellished with jewel beetle wings (called elytra) and worn to the annual Victorian Ball in Bath at the beginning of May. I am basing my gown on a couple of extant ones at the KCI and on some fashion plates.<br /><br />First of all, here's my finished bodice, worn with a random 18th century petticoat over my corded petticoat for the full-skirted effect. It's hand-stitched in silk thread, made of cotton, and edged with figured silk organza. I draped the pattern on myself, with fitting help and photos courtesy of my good friend Emma. (Thank you!!)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-97O3P5W9ctA/Vq_LEqtDiKI/AAAAAAAAAlg/2RR321A8ytE/s1600/Composite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-97O3P5W9ctA/Vq_LEqtDiKI/AAAAAAAAAlg/2RR321A8ytE/s640/Composite.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Now for some inspiration images. First of all, a great, great many further images can be found <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/arasiyris/beetlewing-gown-final/" target="_blank">on my pinboard for this project</a>, including extant pieces, more fashion plates, patterns, etc.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/1e/bf/8c/1ebf8c88b2b90587d92f7af7065219d8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="377" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/1e/bf/8c/1ebf8c88b2b90587d92f7af7065219d8.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dress on the left is at the Kyoto Costume Institute; I'm not sure where the one on the right ended up. <br />The photo is from the<span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; font-size: x-small;">&nbsp;<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: start;">Cora Ginsburg LLC catalogue, 2000, p. 23.</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Now, there were a lot of potential ways to pleat the bodice, but I fell in love with this Worth 1867 ball gown (it's at the Royal Ontario Museum, where I spent a large amount of my childhood) and wondered whether the pleat style had been used earlier.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/28/31/b9/2831b96de2c9e6fd63d6e8e45dd0e7e3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/28/31/b9/2831b96de2c9e6fd63d6e8e45dd0e7e3.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unfortunately, the image link doesn't work anymore...</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Of course there are many, many fan-fronted gowns in the 1840s and '50s, but they're usually caught back into a yoke at the neckline. However, I started to find a variety of gowns with a similar pleated or even cowl-neck front which started as a fan at the waist and then never got pulled back into a yoke. There are a lot of examples <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/arasiyris/beetlewing-gown-final/" target="_blank">on my pinboard</a> from the 1840s and '50s, but I'll copy one here from 1846:<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QnvoZktHk-g/Vq_KK1YQXNI/AAAAAAAAAlY/fTLGA6N8N9U/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-02-01%2Bat%2B9.11.40%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QnvoZktHk-g/Vq_KK1YQXNI/AAAAAAAAAlY/fTLGA6N8N9U/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-02-01%2Bat%2B9.11.40%2BPM.png" width="306" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A detail from the plate at left</td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/ajaxhelper/?CISOROOT=p15324coll12&amp;CISOPTR=1500&amp;action=2&amp;DMSCALE=10&amp;DMWIDTH=228&amp;DMHEIGHT=328&amp;DMX=0&amp;DMY=0&amp;DMTEXT=&amp;DMROTATE=0" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/ajaxhelper/?CISOROOT=p15324coll12&amp;CISOPTR=1500&amp;action=2&amp;DMSCALE=10&amp;DMWIDTH=228&amp;DMHEIGHT=328&amp;DMX=0&amp;DMY=0&amp;DMTEXT=&amp;DMROTATE=0" height="400" width="277" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">February 1846, from the Met's <a href="http://libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15324coll12/id/1500/rec/1" target="_blank">digital collections</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />Of course, you'll notice that mine is pleated a lot more like the 1860s one, with defined pleats rather than rounded rolls. I tried to keep them rounded, but the cotton didn't want to support itself unless it was pressed into a pleat, and then they sort of got permanently pressed down as I stitched them onto the structural layer of the bodice. So there it is. I like how it looks and I'll live with the slight anachronism.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wVaRgA0ORkw/Vq_O1JPbQMI/AAAAAAAAAl0/M9DxPYvwUig/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-02-01%2Bat%2B3.25.49%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wVaRgA0ORkw/Vq_O1JPbQMI/AAAAAAAAAl0/M9DxPYvwUig/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-02-01%2Bat%2B3.25.49%2BPM.png" width="319" /></a></div>So on to the construction. I began with a sketch of the design, and a fitting over my new corset. The original pattern was modified from the 1840s bodice mockup I made for a different dress last year (it never got past mockup stage, and the fabric is still in Canada), which was done over my 1890s corset as that's all I had at the time. So it needed a bit of tweaking.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OCm1NBYUDZ8/Vq_O1PonFlI/AAAAAAAAAls/yd7EH66JxWk/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-02-01%2Bat%2B3.26.07%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OCm1NBYUDZ8/Vq_O1PonFlI/AAAAAAAAAls/yd7EH66JxWk/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-02-01%2Bat%2B3.26.07%2BPM.png" width="318" /></a></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pio235G_VEs/Vq_O1GV75RI/AAAAAAAAAlw/_yhljiAiMB0/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-02-01%2Bat%2B3.26.20%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pio235G_VEs/Vq_O1GV75RI/AAAAAAAAAlw/_yhljiAiMB0/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-02-01%2Bat%2B3.26.20%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a><br />I built a full bodice, with cotton lining and a sheer cotton over-layer, and finished the neck edge with piping and silk habotai trim. I then laced my corset around my rolled-up pillow and pinned the bodice over it so that I could drape the pleated layer on top.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F-gE4P-enPM/Vq_O193_lsI/AAAAAAAAAl8/DGT0hJmRl-A/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-02-01%2Bat%2B3.27.06%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F-gE4P-enPM/Vq_O193_lsI/AAAAAAAAAl8/DGT0hJmRl-A/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-02-01%2Bat%2B3.27.06%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div>I stitched the pleats down over the foundational layer and then edged the neckline with a strip of figured silk organza. This organza also appears on my c. 1815 ball gown, and I have a lot left, so it will probably show up on everything for a while. It's gorgeous stuff though!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CVeHbP-pB_Y/Vq_O2jGoxAI/AAAAAAAAAmI/5aPCrtF0ckE/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-02-01%2Bat%2B3.27.38%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CVeHbP-pB_Y/Vq_O2jGoxAI/AAAAAAAAAmI/5aPCrtF0ckE/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-02-01%2Bat%2B3.27.38%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div>I also made some corded piping out of the silk organza, and used it to edge the bottom of the bodice. I then added a strip around the waist like a belt, which you see in quite a few fashion plates. I think it will help define the waist in a sea of frothy ivory.<br /><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bWTCY4mwt1U/Vq_SDGLfg2I/AAAAAAAAAno/N5VlciQ3Qbk/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-02-01%2Bat%2B3.28.41%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bWTCY4mwt1U/Vq_SDGLfg2I/AAAAAAAAAno/N5VlciQ3Qbk/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-02-01%2Bat%2B3.28.41%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="text-align: center;">I procrastinated forever on draping the sleeves, which ended up being kind of curved rectangle-trapezoid things. Not that difficult. =P I stitched the pleating invisibly from the underside and added a further detail in the organza. I'll also add some beetle wings to this detail when I get to the embroidery stage.</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />There are bones on each seam on the inside, wool-stuffed pads in the side-bust/armscye areas to prevent buckling, and a waist tape to relieve pressure on the outer fabric. The bodice closes with waaaay too many hooks and eyes up the back, and, as on period bodices, the eyes have been individually thread-wrapped in silk thread to hide them and help keep them from slipping open.<br /><br />This serves as my entry for February: Tucks and Pleats for the HSF/HSM, so here is the HSF info:<br /><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;"><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">What the item is: c. 1847-50 ballgown bodice. This is the first step in the ballgown I'm making for the Bath Victorian Ball in May, and it is based on extant beetlewing-embellished gowns from the late '40s to c. 1850, as well as a variety of fashion plates. I chose this style of gown both because beetlewings are wonderful and because the gowns tended to be made of cotton, rather than silk, which I can afford.&nbsp;<i class="_4-k1 img sp_fM-mz8spZ1b sx_5371b4" style="background-image: url(&quot;/rsrc.php/v2/yx/r/pimRBh7B6ER.png&quot;); background-position: 0px -340px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: auto; display: inline-block; height: 16px; vertical-align: -3px; width: 16px;"><u style="left: -999999px; position: absolute;">smile emoticon</u></i></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;"><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">The Challenge: February - Tucks and Pleating (and, if I'm honest, January - Procrastination...I left it for way too long before drafting the sleeves. And they're basically curved rectangles.)</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;"><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Fabric/Materials: Bodice lining is cotton twill. Bodice outer layers are cotton muslin. Gold trim is figured silk organza. Piping is the silk organza with a cotton core. Under-trim on the neckline is silk habotai. Wool batting (meant for spinning) quilted into cotton twill pads in the side-bust/underarm.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;"><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Pattern: draped by me, on me, based on period sources and extant bodices.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;"><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Year: c. 1847-50.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;"><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Notions: Hook and eye closures (so many of them...) individually thread-wrapped with silk thread; silk thread for the stitching; cotton cord to fill the piping; bones (some steel and some extra-thin cable ties); wool top/batting for the side-bust pads.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;"><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">How historically accurate is it? The cable ties are not accurate, but they mimic very thin whalebone pretty well. The pleats should be a little softer and rounder for the '40s and '50s, but they creased when I was draping them and that seems to be permanent. There are a bunch of extant pleated ones from the '60s, so I'm calling it okay. One of the bones in the back of the bodice goes too high - it reaches up past the armscye - which was necessary to fix the buckling in that area. I should have interlined it in a stiffer glazed linen or cotton; I know for next time. The rest of the materials and construction methods are accurate according to my research, and the stitching has all been done by hand in silk thread. So maybe 80%?</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;"><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Hours to complete: haaaaaaah...</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;"><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">First worn: Just for photos. Its first official outing will be at the ball in Bath in May.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-top: 6px;"><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">Total cost: I think about £20 for all the cotton (including skirts). The bones and the organza were stash; I think the bones were originally about £7 total and the organza is negligible because I used so little of it. The cotton interlining was also stash, and was originally free (excess from a class project in my undergrad).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-top: 6px;"><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><br /></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.32px;">I will leave you with some closer photos of the finished bodice, and a shot of the beetle wings that will eventually be stitched all around the skirt hem. =)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.32px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aImsLmUrmpQ/Vq_Tik5yzNI/AAAAAAAAAn0/lOFPbZ3Ivog/s1600/image1%2B%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aImsLmUrmpQ/Vq_Tik5yzNI/AAAAAAAAAn0/lOFPbZ3Ivog/s640/image1%2B%25281%2529.JPG" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lvhRPLS65D0/Vq_Ti7hoyoI/AAAAAAAAAn4/czN_XUdPAm0/s1600/IMG_6687.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lvhRPLS65D0/Vq_Ti7hoyoI/AAAAAAAAAn4/czN_XUdPAm0/s640/IMG_6687.jpg" width="552" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.32px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-99ca0MkZA5I/Vq_ULWvplII/AAAAAAAAAoE/FOCXqmoxJV0/s1600/IMG_4806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-99ca0MkZA5I/Vq_ULWvplII/AAAAAAAAAoE/FOCXqmoxJV0/s400/IMG_4806.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.32px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.32px;"><br /></span></span></div>Isabel Northwodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599702965185090050noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73382000944576885.post-10640582100152104382016-01-17T10:22:00.000-08:002016-01-17T10:22:13.291-08:00Very Much Overdue PhotosHere are some photos from Buckden Towers in December, taken by the gracious Rob Ross, of my pink cotehardie, c. 1409. I have, of course, posted photos of the gown several times before, but never with the embroidery actually "finished." Please note the heavy quotations on "finished," since I will undoubtedly pick it back up at some point and add more. But at least it's symmetrical now. I have been wearing this dress for more than three years with the three rows of parallel lines, but with roundels only around the waist. I finally tackled the lengthy process of adding the circles around the hips and the huge hem. I didn't count. I don't want to know. <span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m8x219FA-QQ/VpvXWSZozzI/AAAAAAAAAkM/VL1PW3JtzGE/s1600/DSC_0417_3amod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m8x219FA-QQ/VpvXWSZozzI/AAAAAAAAAkM/VL1PW3JtzGE/s640/DSC_0417_3amod.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PjVmnogLYfc/VpvYsMMcJHI/AAAAAAAAAkk/63SD20wAJjk/s1600/DSC_0458_amod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PjVmnogLYfc/VpvYsMMcJHI/AAAAAAAAAkk/63SD20wAJjk/s640/DSC_0458_amod.jpg" width="408" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span data-offset-key="ekbrl-0-0"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span data-offset-key="ekbrl-0-0">It is done in silk floss, couched over a silk-wool core on the shetland wool gown. The pattern is based on illuminations dating between about 1350 and 1409; it shows up all over both men and women's garments. </span>However, it is hard to say to what extent this pattern is merely artistic shorthand for "...and there was embroidery on it," or whether the circles and lines pattern was actually that common. Stripes and roundels are a common motif in medieval woven fabrics and in other extant scraps of embroidery, but there are often other elements around or within them. That said, as this is a wool gown rather than silk, it is entirely plausible that less complex motifs would have been stitched onto it. Couched embroidery has been found from this period and slightly earlier, so it's a plausible stitch. The dress itself is entirely hand-sewn (the whole outfit is) and is constructed geometrically.</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hfa_I0OgN2E/VpvYb52brkI/AAAAAAAAAkc/Oqz_boMa82I/s1600/BeltPurse_ThrustPivaRiposte.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hfa_I0OgN2E/VpvYb52brkI/AAAAAAAAAkc/Oqz_boMa82I/s640/BeltPurse_ThrustPivaRiposte.jpg" width="230" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See, this was before the embroidery was done...</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The thing on my belt (well, the blue and gold thing) is my new belt purse! Another thing I'd been procrastinating on. Had to make a good impression on the locals - couldn't show up in half-finished garb, could I? =P It's made of a wool and silk pavy cloth that I wove on my floor loom last year (wish I still had access to a floor loom! Alas...), finished with fingerlooped silk cords and wool tassels with woven silk decoration.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tbX92YVeA38/VpvaOhZjXXI/AAAAAAAAAkw/xfyi4LgDHAM/s1600/IMG_4109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tbX92YVeA38/VpvaOhZjXXI/AAAAAAAAAkw/xfyi4LgDHAM/s320/IMG_4109.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cloth, close-up</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And one more photo of the dress, standing on Buckden's entrance causeway:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xMTfvTgN9WE/VpvXs-cA9mI/AAAAAAAAAkU/XLWmZsydk78/s1600/DSC_0454_2amod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xMTfvTgN9WE/VpvXs-cA9mI/AAAAAAAAAkU/XLWmZsydk78/s640/DSC_0454_2amod.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>Isabel Northwodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599702965185090050noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73382000944576885.post-74869821153844624882015-09-30T13:20:00.000-07:002015-09-30T13:20:26.388-07:00Corset Alterations and Some Mythbusting<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eW4NlCajQic/Vgw_SnodCnI/AAAAAAAAAfk/n1rbednnZlU/s400/IMG_9223.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="210" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post-alteration, and 2" narrower. Much better.<br />You can see photos of the original a couple of<br />posts back&nbsp;on this blog.</td></tr></tbody></table>Hello! I am writing to you this evening from Glasgow, Scotland, which is my new home for the next 12 months or so. I'm here doing my masters degree in Museum Studies: Dress and Textile History, which is very exciting. I had about a week of turnaround time between flying home from Williamsburg (*sniffle*) and flying here (hooray!) so it's all been a bit of a whirlwind. However, somewhere in that whirlwind I have managed to get some stuff done!<br /><br />First up is the alteration I just finished on my 1876 blue silk corset. I loved the shape from the front, but the back made me unhappy. The lacing gap was about 2" too large if I laced it so the gap was equidistant from top to bottom, even though the waist and hips actually fit quite well. The problem was the lack of ease through the upper ribs and shoulder blades. This was preventing the corset from pulling as tightly around the waist as it should have done, and generally making it...well, wrong. It wasn't really uncomfortable, and it looked okay; it just didn't sit right. I probably could have left it, and it would have been functional, and looked good from most angles. But it wasn't what I intended, and I knew it could be far, far better. And I am, above all else, a perfectionist, and sometimes I am a slave to my own perfectionism. Once the idea is in my brain, it's going to happen whether I like it or not.<br /><br />So I fixed it.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-swVOqGQldt8/VRwfF0h-zkI/AAAAAAAAAU8/5-0Fmq7A2iQ/s1600/FullSizeRender%252819%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-swVOqGQldt8/VRwfF0h-zkI/AAAAAAAAAU8/5-0Fmq7A2iQ/s400/FullSizeRender%252819%2529.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The original</td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Al5DMIBp3UM/Vgw8UWOrZAI/AAAAAAAAAfM/CSoEzjlsA_E/s1600/IMG_9227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Al5DMIBp3UM/Vgw8UWOrZAI/AAAAAAAAAfM/CSoEzjlsA_E/s400/IMG_9227.jpg" width="278" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post-alteration</td></tr></tbody></table><br />See what a difference that makes? The waist isn't actually smaller, but it looks sharper because my ribs now have room. That myth about squashing ribs to make the waist smaller? It's ridiculous! The more ease - *extra* room - you give to your ribs and the top edge of your corset, the more extreme the waist looks without lacing down far at all, and the more room for flesh displacement there is, which means you can actually lace your waist down further if you've put extra room above and below it.<br /><br />Post-alteration, my corset now actually looks a lot closer in silhouette to my inspiration corset (even though my figure is quite different from the one the extant example was intended for, with my long waist, wide ribs, and lack of bust).<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://lowres-picturecabinet.com.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/29/main/6/140578.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lowres-picturecabinet.com.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/29/main/6/140578.jpg" height="320" width="249" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Museum of London, c. 1851-62. Image number 002188.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />So anyways, I'm very happy with the results of all of this. Here are a few more photos for you. I just bought my ticket to Prior Attire's Victorian Ball in Bath this spring, and I'm planning to wear this corset under my gown, so it will actually get some use.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"></div><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F9n-DAVnkx0/Vgw_Rzlxa8I/AAAAAAAAAfs/5PhVQn3EKFQ/s400/IMG_9220.jpg" width="252" />&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gmBLjrtlwyk/Vgw_TTAf63I/AAAAAAAAAf8/YwrM0K3GchQ/s400/IMG_9227%2B-%2BVersion%2B2.jpg" width="265" /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wSSXP7fuM1k/Vgw_RzaQx9I/AAAAAAAAAfc/Cecsqeg7nzc/s1600/IMG_9201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wSSXP7fuM1k/Vgw_RzaQx9I/AAAAAAAAAfc/Cecsqeg7nzc/s400/IMG_9201.jpg" width="266" /></a><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mXpfyB1d_RA/Vgw_TsV8P4I/AAAAAAAAAf4/Os5PVhNVUxE/s400/IMG_9231.jpg" width="266" /></div><br />Other than that, I'm working on some 18th century stuff - just finished a wool petticoat today and started working on a muslin cap, and will be beginning a quilted petticoat sometime next week (wheeee! finally!). I'll hopefully be posting some photos soon from a photoshoot some friends and I have planned for this weekend. Until then, you can find more frequent updates on facebook at <a href="http://facebook.com/isabelnorthwodecostumes" target="_blank">Isabel Northwode Costumes</a>.<br /><br />Isabel Northwodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599702965185090050noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73382000944576885.post-42123364148224773632015-08-14T15:28:00.000-07:002015-08-14T15:29:16.613-07:00A c. 1780 chintz Italian gown, or robe a l'AnglaiseI've been working away at my list of projects here in Williamsburg, both in the shop and on my own. One of my personal projects was a gown made of the reproduction chintz sold here. The chintz I really wanted is out of stock, so I chose the red "trailing vines" print. The red is the original colourway of this print, and it comes from a single-fabric quilt in the Williamsburg collections (accession number 1953-100, if you're curious). I'm a bit sad that it's a home decor print as opposed to an original dress print, but the scale and placement of the pattern is generally correct for the type of chintz used in women's gowns in England and the Colonies: not too big, not too small, and not too dense. And I like the colours.<br /><br />Abby draped the pattern on me (thanks, Abby!), and I did all the sewing. I stitched it by hand, using the stitches and techniques which the millinery shop believes to be those employed by period mantuamakers. It was my first gown of this type, so it took me a bit longer than it will next time, but an experienced mantuamaker should be able to do a gown like this in about 10 hours. I think it took me maybe 20, broken up over various lunch hours and evenings. I really enjoyed putting it together - it was a straightforward and quite a simple process.<br /><br />Anyways, I know you're all really here for the photos, so here they are. =) I forgot to take in-progress shots, so rather than doing a full writeup of the making of this gown I'll just say that if you have any questions about the process you are very welcome to message me here or on facebook (link on the sidebar on the left).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-suGcqtPI1l4/Vc5p6MJMnpI/AAAAAAAAAdc/s1GG1_ol6wg/s1600/FullSizeRender%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-suGcqtPI1l4/Vc5p6MJMnpI/AAAAAAAAAdc/s1GG1_ol6wg/s640/FullSizeRender%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6DgWEa3zqEg/Vc5p7EmQGQI/AAAAAAAAAdo/PUPHgvd5L0w/s1600/image4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6DgWEa3zqEg/Vc5p7EmQGQI/AAAAAAAAAdo/PUPHgvd5L0w/s640/image4.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8OgaWtyIVUc/Vc5p6OsgmVI/AAAAAAAAAdk/AHjqYzMnQ1w/s1600/image2%2B%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8OgaWtyIVUc/Vc5p6OsgmVI/AAAAAAAAAdk/AHjqYzMnQ1w/s640/image2%2B%25281%2529.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CFvgXHihbZk/Vc5p6VthPFI/AAAAAAAAAdg/0dxOtPAiAbg/s1600/image3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CFvgXHihbZk/Vc5p6VthPFI/AAAAAAAAAdg/0dxOtPAiAbg/s640/image3.JPG" width="478" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I'm wearing the gown with my black silk taffeta market bonnet, which I made, as well as an apron, a neck-kerchief, mitts, and petticoats from the intern wardrobe here at the shop. I'm working on a petticoat to match the gown right now, and it should be ready to wear by next week. I think the next project will either be a pair of mitts or a bedgown. I was going to make a new shift, but honestly I wouldn't finish it in time to have it really be useful at this point, so while I have the expertise of the shop ladies at my disposal I'd rather work on more involved projects that I can't do in my sleep.<br /><br />All photo credit to Rebecca Starkins (thanks, Rebecca!)Isabel Northwodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599702965185090050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73382000944576885.post-27927015677688489462015-08-08T14:34:00.000-07:002015-08-14T15:29:05.931-07:00Cam Ye O'er Frae France, and sundriesFirst the sundries, because they're shorter:<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YNujGYdxgFM/VcZzaluhGQI/AAAAAAAAAdE/oJQdEaefICk/s1600/11822279_10152945593672001_6677120920611830451_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YNujGYdxgFM/VcZzaluhGQI/AAAAAAAAAdE/oJQdEaefICk/s320/11822279_10152945593672001_6677120920611830451_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>1. I am in Williamsburg for my internship at the Millinery Shop, and have been for a month, and it's beautiful, and I'm learning all the things, and I'm enjoying myself very much.<br /><br />2. I made a black silk market bonnet (using the excellent pattern put out by my fellow intern Maggie - "Undressing the Historical Lady" - <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/235598012/18th-century-bonnet-epattern-instant?ref=shop_home_active_1" target="_blank">which may be found here</a>), and I wear it a lot, and I love it. If you want a market bonnet, I highly recommend it, as the instructions were very clear. This was my first experience with hats of any sort, and it was extremely smooth and quick to put together.<br /><br /><br />3. To prove item the first and item the second, here are some further photos:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0CwktSOg-ns/VcZzWyMG8iI/AAAAAAAAAc0/tWmjZt_IySI/s1600/11796335_1619858964963065_1150283496616245623_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0CwktSOg-ns/VcZzWyMG8iI/AAAAAAAAAc0/tWmjZt_IySI/s400/11796335_1619858964963065_1150283496616245623_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pcFW0AZcYbI/VcZzYfc4KiI/AAAAAAAAAc8/LShd_tR5lK8/s1600/11028361_1619858981629730_44332921769046043_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pcFW0AZcYbI/VcZzYfc4KiI/AAAAAAAAAc8/LShd_tR5lK8/s400/11028361_1619858981629730_44332921769046043_n.jpg" width="300" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And now for the entertainment part of the evening (that is, the song):<br /><br />Earlier this summer I recorded another song, this time with the enormous help of Douglas Romanow, who arranged and produced the track. Obviously, it sounds way better than the stuff I normally post, and has actual instruments and stuff. This is fitting, since a) it's one of my favourite songs of all time, and, b) it's quite challenging to sing, which makes the recording studio setting more conducive to a good end result.<br /><br />The song in question is Cam Ye O'er Frae France, an upbeat and gloriously insulting Jacobite rebellion song from about 1715. It's in early-18th century Scots, which can make it a bit difficult to understand, so I'll include a set of lyrics and my approximate translations below. An excellent and far more thorough work-through of the song <a href="http://www.telusplanet.net/public/prescotj/data/music/camyeoer.html" target="_blank">may be found here</a>.<br /><br /><br /><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=3104637668/size=large/bgcol=333333/linkcol=2ebd35/tracklist=false/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 442px; width: 350px;"><a href="http://isabelnorthwode.bandcamp.com/track/cam-ye-oer-frae-france">Cam Ye O&#39;er Frae France by Isabel Northwode</a></iframe> <br />And here are the lyrics:<br /><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Cam ye o'er frae France? Cam ye down by Lunnon?&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Saw ye Geordie Whelps and his bonny woman?&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Were ye at the place ca'd the Kittle Housie?&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Saw ye Geordie's grace riding on a goosie?&nbsp;</span><br /><br style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">[Did you come over from France? Did you come over through London?&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Did you see /King George/ and his /mistress/ (prostitute)?&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Were you at the place called the /brothel/ (the royal palace)?&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Did you see His Royal Grace riding on a /prostitute/ (his mistress)?]&nbsp;</span><br /><br style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Geordie, he's a man there is little doubt o't;&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">He's done a' he can, wha can do without it?&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Down there came a blade linkin' like my lordie;&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">He wad drive a trade at the loom o' Geordie.&nbsp;</span><br /><br style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">[George is a man; there is little doubt of it.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">He's done all he can (sex w/ his wife); who can do without it (but it's not enough and she can't do without it - so...)&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Down there came a blade, acting like My Lord (A man came to be her lover and acted/slept with her/ like the king)&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">He would drive a trade (weave cloth) at King George's loom (he would impregnate the Queen, perhaps)]&nbsp;</span><br /><br style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Though the claith were bad, blythly may we niffer;&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Gin we get a wab, it makes little differ.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">We hae tint our plaid, bannet, belt and swordie,&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Ha's and mailins braid—but we hae a Geordie!&nbsp;</span><br /><br style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">[Though the cloth were bad (though the fruit of the Queen's loom - the prince - is ill-gotten), blithely may we gamble,&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">For if we get that cloth, it makes little difference:&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">We have lost our plaid, hats, belts, and swords,&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Our houses and broad lands - but we have a George! (Either way we get a George - the current king or his potentially-bastard son)]&nbsp;</span><br /><br style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Jocky's gane to France and Montgomery's lady;&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">There they'll learn to dance: Madam, are ye ready?&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">They'll be back belyve belted, brisk and lordly;&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Brawly may they thrive to dance a jig wi' Geordie!&nbsp;</span><br /><br style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">[King James (in the Jacobites' view, the rightful king) has gone to France with the Queen;&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">There they'll learn to make war: Madam, are you ready?&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">They'll be back swiftly, belted, ready, and lordly;&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Strongly and battle-ready may they thrive to fight King George!]&nbsp;</span><br /><br style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Hey for Sandy Don! Hey for Cockolorum!&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Hey for Bobbing John and his Highland Quorum!&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Mony a sword and lance swings at Highland hurdie;&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">How they'll skip and dance o'er the bum o' Geordie!&nbsp;</span><br /><br style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">[Hey for /a highland general/! Hey for /a kin leader/!&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Hey for /another general - so called because he kept switching sides/ and his gathering of more highland leaders!&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Many a sword and lance swings at the horde of highlanders;&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">How they'll skip and dance over the bum of George!]&nbsp;</span><br /><br style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Repeat first verse.<br /></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">See what I mean? Gloriously insulting! The history surrounding this song is well worth a read, as well. Some fascinating stuff.<br /><br />Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the song and the photos! I'm posting pretty regular updates on my facebook page with photos from the Millinery Shop and from around town, so feel free to follow me there. I'm nearing completion on a new gown, so I'll be posting that soon, too.</span>Isabel Northwodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599702965185090050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73382000944576885.post-22731450504283902332015-06-13T18:39:00.000-07:002015-07-16T22:18:34.069-07:001780s Stays: the Making OfAs promised, here is the blog post on the making of my new 1780s linen stays. I began draping the pattern on April 3, and finished building the final stays this past Tuesday, June 9th. A loose estimate suggests that I spent over 300 hours on these stays, including sourcing fabric, dyeing fabric, patterning, and stitching, but not including research. Next time it won't take quite so long, since I have the pattern and have now gone through the staymaking process twice.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YpyBc8Q40m0/VXxHMhp5teI/AAAAAAAAAZE/bBpkf7jX7ao/s1600/Final_Mockup_Comparison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="321" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YpyBc8Q40m0/VXxHMhp5teI/AAAAAAAAAZE/bBpkf7jX7ao/s640/Final_Mockup_Comparison.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />My mannequin at school (alas, now dismantled and in another province; RIP) was perfectly padded out to my figure, and was one of my favourite things ever. I had made so many things from it over the two years I had it that I knew exactly what to expect from it (eg, it has narrower shoulders than I do) and how patterns made from it will fit me, and this allowed me to alter the draped pattern into an historical silhouette (eg, raised bustline, molded waist) without messing with the mannequin itself. Thus, I was able to drape my stays pattern directly on "my body," rather than starting with someone else's draft.<br /><br />For those who have not draped foundation garments before, I will write a detailed description of how I went about it. I highly recommend it, if you think it's something you want to try!<br /><br />I started by pulling up photos of a number of extant museum garments on my phone and arraying my Norah Waugh and Jill Salen books around me on the table, and with these as references I simply drew my pattern lines on the mannequin. You will note a number of guidelines in these photos, and for those who have not draped in the past I will identify some of them: in blue I have my natural waist, a high v-back neckline (my 1770s caraco), a much lower v-back (left over as reference from the drape of my regency gown), and a raised bustline for historical garments. In green are the stays lines, a number of lines left over from my regency ball gown bodice (again, as reference, as I know where those lines sit on my body in the final garment), a raised bustline reference right at center front, and a lowered waistline.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c8V6oPPwym8/VXxHV1XdFJI/AAAAAAAAAZM/DY0xu6EyhMY/s1600/11121037_10152842752752001_471728434_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c8V6oPPwym8/VXxHV1XdFJI/AAAAAAAAAZM/DY0xu6EyhMY/s400/11121037_10152842752752001_471728434_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IWqnRDIWioE/VXxHV92ffvI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/enSOeCrvXiI/s1600/11304062_10152842752742001_816450746_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IWqnRDIWioE/VXxHV92ffvI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/enSOeCrvXiI/s400/11304062_10152842752742001_816450746_n.jpg" width="300" /></a> <br /><br />I used a heavy cotton twill to trace off the pattern, rather than regular factory cotton, because this allowed me to ensure the smooth lines and relatively flat pieces necessary for stays (factory cotton is somewhat prone to molding and stretching to curves on the mannequin, which boned linen buckram will not do!).<br /><br />I cut out 4 of every pattern piece and sandwiched two pieces of posterboard between two layers of twill to make my mockup. I stitched in one cable tie per panel, and used lacing strips to try it on and fit it. You can see this mockup beside the finished stays above. This method worked very well, and was a lot faster than stitching all the boning channels into a fabric mockup and trying to do it the traditional way! With the mockup finished, I made the relevant alterations to the pattern and traced it out into a final version.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4GCdeFNF3FA/VXzLtQq69KI/AAAAAAAAAZs/iT-1yM5W3Ac/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-13%2Bat%2B10.42.26%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="638" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4GCdeFNF3FA/VXzLtQq69KI/AAAAAAAAAZs/iT-1yM5W3Ac/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-13%2Bat%2B10.42.26%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Needless to say, I would request that no one use this pattern without my permission)</td></tr></tbody></table>You'll notice that I put tons of balance marks, or notches, into my patterns. I find that this is very simple to do as you drape a pattern, and makes a huge difference when you're trying to match floppy bias edges, so I try to put in as many as is reasonable.<br /><br />I cut the pieces out of a double layer of outer linen and a structural layer of linen buckram. I had dyed the outer linen a sort of tea brown using quebracho, a natural bark dye. It's hard to judge what colour quebracho is going to dye, and based on my last batch I had hoped for it to be a bit more pink, but the colour it turned is a good 18thC stays colour so I'll live with it. =)<br /><br />With the pieces cut and all layers sandwiched together, I drew out all the boning channels on the back of each buckram piece and pinned the lines through to the right side of the dyed linen. Then, piece by piece, I began backstitching the boning channels using white linen thread. It took me nine days to do the ten pattern pieces.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9vP8iM9V49I/VXzN9T3gxWI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/Fff9E0GdbUA/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-13%2Bat%2B10.43.03%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9vP8iM9V49I/VXzN9T3gxWI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/Fff9E0GdbUA/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-13%2Bat%2B10.43.03%2BAM.png" width="636" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I actually had the double of each of these done too, but they didn't fit in the instagram photo. =P</td></tr></tbody></table>Now, normally this would be the point at which the bones would be inserted, while each piece is still separate from the others. However, this would mean that the pieces would be rigid and uncooperative as I tried to butt-and-whip them together along the seams. Since I have tendonitis in one of my wrists (the left one - my fabric-wrangling hand, not my stitching hand, from exactly these sorts of things), I decided that it would be wiser to whip the seams together first and bone them afterwards.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KnT7ZsjUHGg/VXzO1yXx51I/AAAAAAAAAaA/tq0DlQREi5Q/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-13%2Bat%2B10.43.17%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="412" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KnT7ZsjUHGg/VXzO1yXx51I/AAAAAAAAAaA/tq0DlQREi5Q/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-13%2Bat%2B10.43.17%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a> </div>I then put in the eyelets (or rather, most of the eyelets, as I decided later on to add more in the front so that I could ladder-lace instead of spiral lace - more on that later) and began to insert bones. I was using 1/4" halved round reed from Burnley and Trowbridge. I had planned to soak or steam it to make it cooperate, but in the end all I had to do was slide two into each channel at one time and all but the most sharply curved evened each other out.<br /><br />I did find the reed somewhat brittle and I broke a few, but once they were all inserted they seemed sturdy enough. That said, I would recommend reed for projects where the bones are close enough together to support each other; bones which sit more than an inch apart from others are prone to snapping.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YZvo-Su-vyU/VXzPRJ7Y-TI/AAAAAAAAAaI/1P9yTWu8djU/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-13%2Bat%2B10.43.45%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YZvo-Su-vyU/VXzPRJ7Y-TI/AAAAAAAAAaI/1P9yTWu8djU/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-13%2Bat%2B10.43.45%2BAM.png" width="638" /></a></div><br />After the bones were in, I covered the seams with 1/4" plain weave linen tape, also from B&amp;T, which I had dyed dark blue in a vat of natural indigo. I ladder-stitched it down using silk thread dyed in the same vat.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KxHmgo4Ujns/VXzRVY6QT3I/AAAAAAAAAak/X_mjLofevjM/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-13%2Bat%2B10.44.15%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="568" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KxHmgo4Ujns/VXzRVY6QT3I/AAAAAAAAAak/X_mjLofevjM/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-13%2Bat%2B10.44.15%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />Now, I should add in a note here about the indigo seam coverings. By rights they should be white or tan, since these stays are intended to be worn in Virginia. In Europe, seam coverings were all sorts of fun colours - for instance, <a href="http://m.vam.ac.uk/collections/item/O115752/stays-unknown/" target="_blank">this pair from the V&amp;A</a>:<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.vam.ac.uk/media/thira/collection_images/2006BB/2006BB0967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://media.vam.ac.uk/media/thira/collection_images/2006BB/2006BB0967.jpg" height="640" width="409" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can kind of see the blue silk tapes here; if you go to the link above and zoom in it's easier to see.</td></tr></tbody></table>Or this pair, allegedly from France although I can't find the institution:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i76.servimg.com/u/f76/18/48/08/04/15206310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i76.servimg.com/u/f76/18/48/08/04/15206310.jpg" height="640" width="382" /></a></div><br />But in America, seam coverings don't seem to have been quite as changeable. There's <a href="http://www.extantgowns.com/2013/06/1770.html?m=1" target="_blank">this pair from Vermont,</a> which has indigo and white seam coverings, but since the outer fabric of the stays is indigo as well it's quite a different situation and therefore not evidence for my use of indigo.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qlPJikzwiKM/UazdW5po6jI/AAAAAAAAV4Q/WPFI-tGFKRo/s1600/stays9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="486" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qlPJikzwiKM/UazdW5po6jI/AAAAAAAAV4Q/WPFI-tGFKRo/s1600/stays9.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />I really like how the indigo looks, so I'm going to keep it for now. But if it looks like it might be problematic in Williamsburg this summer, I may just cover the indigo tapes with white ones and then take them off again later. <br /><br />But back to the story. <br /><br />Staring at the boned and taped stays, I realized that while I had set up the center front eyelets for spiral lacing, most of the originals had ladder lacing - and I liked the look of the latter (haha pun) much better. To my own chagrin and despair, the part of my brain that is relentlessly perfectionist decided that I was going to add 14 more eyelets, and there was nothing I could do but comply. Thus, the front went from this...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VSemm5h02ek/VXzQwkUhhuI/AAAAAAAAAaU/DNXFHMirdmc/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-13%2Bat%2B10.43.31%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VSemm5h02ek/VXzQwkUhhuI/AAAAAAAAAaU/DNXFHMirdmc/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-13%2Bat%2B10.43.31%2BAM.png" width="638" /></a></div><br />...To this<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ytNoKNxPEnk/VXzQ8PhXC-I/AAAAAAAAAac/1vVaSHpA5Ic/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-13%2Bat%2B10.44.46%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ytNoKNxPEnk/VXzQ8PhXC-I/AAAAAAAAAac/1vVaSHpA5Ic/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-13%2Bat%2B10.44.46%2BAM.png" width="638" /></a></div><br />Much better. Although I didn't stick with the blue ribbon in the end. It just didn't quite match.<br /><br />Now it was time for binding. I had ivory pigskin left over from my first set of stays, and as it turned out I had *just* enough to do everything I wanted to on this pair. I used ~1" strips to bind the edges, sewing them first upside-down on the front of the stays and then pulling them to the back. The main thought in my head as I did this was "Whyyyyyyy did I put 8 tabs per side on these things?????"<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O3-tGxghmp0/VXzU5AECmQI/AAAAAAAAAaw/XAWgRKUmVMI/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-13%2Bat%2B10.45.02%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O3-tGxghmp0/VXzU5AECmQI/AAAAAAAAAaw/XAWgRKUmVMI/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-13%2Bat%2B10.45.02%2BAM.png" width="638" /></a></div><br />As seen on extant stays where the binding has come off, the edges of the stays are whip-stitched first for stability, and then the binding is stitched 1/8" from the edge. I stitched the binding on using backstitch, but on each corner of my tabs I put a single whipstitch to hold the bones there in place, as they liked to swing out sideways from the tapered tabs.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y6wVF4zNSC0/VXzVoO_mkLI/AAAAAAAAAa4/0nrZdmZIj7c/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-13%2Bat%2B10.45.15%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y6wVF4zNSC0/VXzVoO_mkLI/AAAAAAAAAa4/0nrZdmZIj7c/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-13%2Bat%2B10.45.15%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />At this point I also switched to the ivory ribbon, which is more correct for America (again, in Europe you find coloured silk ribbons in front, but America seems to have largely kept to white and ivory).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mG6qDtu3pEg/VXzV8lJUT1I/AAAAAAAAAbA/FAEdGAMgE8U/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-13%2Bat%2B10.45.24%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mG6qDtu3pEg/VXzV8lJUT1I/AAAAAAAAAbA/FAEdGAMgE8U/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-13%2Bat%2B10.45.24%2BAM.png" width="636" /></a></div><br />I next added the eyelet guards to the back lacing, to avoid wear on the eyelets from tightening the stays, and armpit guards to avoid sweat damage (important when I'll be wearing them daily in July and August with no air conditioning!), both using the same pigskin as for the binding. The eyelet guards are simply a matter of winding a 1/4" strip of leather twice through each eyelet so that it protects about 2/3 of the whipstitches where the lace is prone to rubbing. The armpit guards get stretched over the binding from front point to back point, stitched close up to the binding, and then tacked down at the bottom edge between the bones.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WghIBwPlpfI/VXzXHk68CpI/AAAAAAAAAbU/EtY9JjdkpeM/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-13%2Bat%2B10.45.40%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WghIBwPlpfI/VXzXHk68CpI/AAAAAAAAAbU/EtY9JjdkpeM/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-13%2Bat%2B10.45.40%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Please excuse the awful lighting on this one; it was very late at night.</td></tr></tbody></table>&nbsp;Finally it was time to line them. Each tab must be lined separately (straps get lined separately, too, if you have them), and then the main body of the stays gets lined in a single piece. This method is seen on almost every pair of extant stays, because it allows the main lining to be taken out to be washed without removing all the tab linings, which are fiddly and take forever to stitch in. Mine took about 4 days, because I was working extra shifts at my jobs and was having trouble finding time/motivating myself to stitch endless tabs when I got home. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sle4syVYD-s/VXzXA2rGzNI/AAAAAAAAAbM/2jyo6FA7Cfw/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-13%2Bat%2B10.45.56%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="408" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sle4syVYD-s/VXzXA2rGzNI/AAAAAAAAAbM/2jyo6FA7Cfw/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-13%2Bat%2B10.45.56%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>You'll notice in this photo of the inside that all the seam allowances have been tacked down using large whip stitches; this happens before you butt and whip the main pieces together if you've boned the pieces first, and after the stays are boned if you're doing it in the same slightly rearranged order as I did. Additionally, you can see here that my outer linen doesn't extend all the way under the eyelets as it should. I thought I'd left enough excess when I cut the pieces out, but I was wrong. =( Luckily, the buckram is strong enough to make up for this blunder.<br /><br />After the tabs were lined, I lined the main body of the stays, and put the ivory ribbon back in, and they were done!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uJypGXeWZpI/VXnjySpZ17I/AAAAAAAAAYU/1MxKfxGJ4U0/s1600/11356125_10152839442432001_435281530_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uJypGXeWZpI/VXnjySpZ17I/AAAAAAAAAYU/1MxKfxGJ4U0/s640/11356125_10152839442432001_435281530_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hCRysYVcYPI/VXnjzV2H7vI/AAAAAAAAAYY/xARsV0d09lI/s1600/11422711_10152839442397001_2007761646_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hCRysYVcYPI/VXnjzV2H7vI/AAAAAAAAAYY/xARsV0d09lI/s640/11422711_10152839442397001_2007761646_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />You'll notice that these stays have no straps. I was considering adding the tape straps that criss-cross in the back and get hooked at the front waist, but to be honest I don't think I need them. I find that my stays ride up and need help staying down, rather than getting pushed down and needing assistance to stay up (largely, I think, because I have a smaller bust and thus have nothing to put weight on the top of the stays). There are many extant examples which seem to have no straps and to never have had any straps, and thus I feel justified in leaving them off. They give me headaches and inevitably show at the neckline of my jackets, anyways, so why bother?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8WJ3KVbE4RM/VXzZLw0B0oI/AAAAAAAAAbg/y3fHf68h9Lg/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-13%2Bat%2B10.46.09%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8WJ3KVbE4RM/VXzZLw0B0oI/AAAAAAAAAbg/y3fHf68h9Lg/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-13%2Bat%2B10.46.09%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xSbBjvYBPSw/VXnjxn4RW4I/AAAAAAAAAX0/cNjnGYUMIKY/s1600/11354751_10152839442672001_617756821_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xSbBjvYBPSw/VXnjxn4RW4I/AAAAAAAAAX0/cNjnGYUMIKY/s640/11354751_10152839442672001_617756821_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />For a photodump of photos of the finished stays, go to <a href="http://isabelnorthwode.blogspot.ca/2015/06/hsf-5-practicality-or-stays-are-finally.html" target="_blank">my last blog post, here.</a> I'm hoping to do a photoshoot soon to get some better shots; my cellphone selfies don't really do it justice. But you get the idea. =)<br /><br />Thanks so much for reading! I hope that this was helpful in some way to somebody. If you have any questions about my construction methods, research, material sources, or anything else, please do not hesitate to ask and I'll do my best to answer!<br /><br />Isabel Northwodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599702965185090050noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73382000944576885.post-9861275989781986032015-06-11T12:46:00.000-07:002015-06-13T18:40:07.313-07:00HSF 5: Practicality, or, The Stays are Finally DoneYaaaayyyy! Stays are done. <br /><br /><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;K&quot;}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">I made these for my two month internship in Colonial Williamsburg, so they needed to be comfortable, light, and cool: thus, perfect for the Practicality challenge (although they're slightly late - I ended up working two jobs and these took a back seat. whoops). I made them of linen and reed to keep them light and August-proof, and kept them as skeletal as possible. They <span class="text_exposed_show">also needed to be as accurate as I could make them (both for my own satisfaction and to wear them as an interpreter), and I therefore used period techniques and all hand-construction. The result is an incredibly comfortable pair of stays - I honestly forgot that I was wearing them for a while this afternoon! Very pleased with how these turned out. </span></span></span><span class="text_exposed_show"></span><br /><br /><span class="text_exposed_show">I will write up a whole making-of post soon, but for now I'm just going to photodump. So let it commence.</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="text_exposed_show">Just the facts: </span><br /><div class="text_exposed_show"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;K&quot;}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span class="text_exposed_show"> <br /> The Challenge: May - Practicality<br /> <br /> Fabric: all 100% linen. I dyed the outside stuff with quebracho (a natural bark dye), the inner layer is linen buckram, and the lining is just a plain bleached linen. It is sewn with linen thread, and the seam tapes are indigo-dyed linen. So basically they're made of linen, with some leather, reed, and blood thrown in for good measure.<br /> <br /> Pattern: I draped it on my mannequin based on extant examples, and then cleaned up the resulting pattern with reference to various drafts made from museum pairs (Norah Waugh, Jill Salen, etc). After a mockup I made a final draft, which will now be my working stays pattern from which to draft future pairs. I highly recommend doing this if you have a mannequin on hand. And posterboard is great for stays mockups - flexible enough for the curves, and if you stitch in one cable tie per panel it holds shape perfectly.<br /> <br /> Year: about 1780-85.<br /> <br /> Notions: 1/4" reed boning (2 per channel); linen plain-weave 1/4" tape, which I dumped in an indigo vat, to cover the seams (and the same, undyed, for lacing the back); ivory silk ribbon for the front; pigskin for the binding, armpit guards, and eyelet guards.<br /> <br /> How historically accurate is it? I am tempted to say that these are as accurate as I can possibly get right now, but I will lower the rating to about 95% because the indigo tapes on otherwise very plain stays are plausible but not directly documentable, and should probably have been white. I do have some evidence for them; just not tons.<br /> <br /> Hours to complete: including sourcing fabric, dyeing fabric, and hand-stitching, well over 300.<br /> <br /> First worn: just now, for photos. <br /> <br /> Total cost: not that much, actually. All the linen was stash fabric except for the buckram, and I only needed a yard for that. Reed boning isn't too expensive, the pigskin was leftover from my last pair of stays, and the silk ribbon came to about $3. The dyes cost a bit, but I had to buy them for a class anyways. Altogether this probably ran me around $50 in new materials. Not sure what the stashed bits cost anymore.</span></span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8WJ3KVbE4RM/VXzZLw0B0oI/AAAAAAAAAbk/P8p9oLe8Xbc/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-13%2Bat%2B10.46.09%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8WJ3KVbE4RM/VXzZLw0B0oI/AAAAAAAAAbk/P8p9oLe8Xbc/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-13%2Bat%2B10.46.09%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rYo50WCKQWs/VXnjx9FPXoI/AAAAAAAAAXs/znDXAygQwH8/s1600/11355408_10152839442532001_1996092305_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rYo50WCKQWs/VXnjx9FPXoI/AAAAAAAAAXs/znDXAygQwH8/s640/11355408_10152839442532001_1996092305_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love how swoopy they turned out!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xSbBjvYBPSw/VXnjxn4RW4I/AAAAAAAAAXo/9dIxp3GqE3Y/s1600/11354751_10152839442672001_617756821_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xSbBjvYBPSw/VXnjxn4RW4I/AAAAAAAAAXo/9dIxp3GqE3Y/s640/11354751_10152839442672001_617756821_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is as close as I can get to a back view; sorry. =P</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hCRysYVcYPI/VXnjzV2H7vI/AAAAAAAAAYI/wqjCEuPsL7o/s1600/11422711_10152839442397001_2007761646_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hCRysYVcYPI/VXnjzV2H7vI/AAAAAAAAAYI/wqjCEuPsL7o/s640/11422711_10152839442397001_2007761646_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uJypGXeWZpI/VXnjySpZ17I/AAAAAAAAAYA/e2KsYHGFQ9E/s1600/11356125_10152839442432001_435281530_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uJypGXeWZpI/VXnjySpZ17I/AAAAAAAAAYA/e2KsYHGFQ9E/s640/11356125_10152839442432001_435281530_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OStagVf8Chw/VXnjyVZbyyI/AAAAAAAAAX8/ZgyzOqryHIE/s1600/11414425_10152839442702001_71955479_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OStagVf8Chw/VXnjyVZbyyI/AAAAAAAAAX8/ZgyzOqryHIE/s640/11414425_10152839442702001_71955479_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After only a couple of hours of wear, they already have some shape-memory.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eIpjyqxoGvQ/VXnjzuOfvuI/AAAAAAAAAYM/a75V_Dix1og/s1600/11429925_10152839442537001_1706402712_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="638" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eIpjyqxoGvQ/VXnjzuOfvuI/AAAAAAAAAYM/a75V_Dix1og/s640/11429925_10152839442537001_1706402712_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bustline is cut quite low, as seen in a few period examples. I wasn't sure how this would work with my small bust, but it seems to have actually turned out really well.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cdhqhGYtxHc/VXnjxW20GCI/AAAAAAAAAXk/Uk3-ZlRUjoU/s1600/11269450_10152839442562001_476434934_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cdhqhGYtxHc/VXnjxW20GCI/AAAAAAAAAXk/Uk3-ZlRUjoU/s640/11269450_10152839442562001_476434934_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Please excuse the horrible quality of these selfies. When I can find someone to take proper photos for me, I will!<br /><br />A more complete blog post will be coming soon, as I have waaaaaay too many construction photos for these. =D</div>Isabel Northwodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599702965185090050noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73382000944576885.post-6449905013879493592015-04-02T12:03:00.000-07:002015-04-02T12:03:24.352-07:00HSF March: Stashbusting - 18th Century Knitted MittsThis one was actually done about two weeks ago - well inside the challenge deadline - but I was so preoccupied with getting the corset done that I never took photos or posted about it.<br /><br />For March's challenge, stashbusting, I decided to finally make the 18th century mitts I'd been planning for so long. I do still plan to make bias-cut silk ones with embroidered finger-triangles, but for now I just needed something to cover my arms with the short-sleeved jackets. (On a side note: there's a weird rumor floating around the non-costuming part of the internet that mitts were for propriety, like covering Victorian ankles. I don't even know where to start with that one.) <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ghYSYlPyuu4/VR2QgxtePwI/AAAAAAAAAWw/roJZxXL6N0E/s1600/FullSizeRender(17).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ghYSYlPyuu4/VR2QgxtePwI/AAAAAAAAAWw/roJZxXL6N0E/s1600/FullSizeRender(17).jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ta-da</td></tr></tbody></table>&nbsp;Anyways, a couple of years ago my mom gave me a beautiful ivory cashmere sweater that had some holes in it because she thought I might be able to use the lace edging. I do plan to use that, too, but my first thought was actually that I could use the sleeves to make mitts. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7jBBmNsgYu8/VR2RNYRrcBI/AAAAAAAAAW8/QJ1-udvU84M/s1600/FullSizeRender(16).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7jBBmNsgYu8/VR2RNYRrcBI/AAAAAAAAAW8/QJ1-udvU84M/s1600/FullSizeRender(16).jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div><br />There are many 18th century and early 19th century examples of knitted mitts, both in advertisements and in the form of extant examples:<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20080226054038/http:/www.antique-lace.com/date1/2432/2432a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://web.archive.org/web/20080226054038/http:/www.antique-lace.com/date1/2432/2432a.jpg" height="400" width="302" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1787, made of knitted linen thread.<br />http://web.archive.org/web/20080226054038/http:/www.antique-lace.com/date1/2432/2432.htm</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://mfas3.s3.amazonaws.com/objects/SC94146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://mfas3.s3.amazonaws.com/objects/SC94146.jpg" height="400" width="295" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Late 18th or early 19th century, French, silk knit<br />http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/pair-of-mitts-46496</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Advertisements list wool, silk, and linen as possible materials for knitted mitts, and women might either purchase fine pairs or knit their own. Homemade knitted mitts were knit in the round, but my research suggests that some examples made for sale were frame-knit and seamed. Additionally, some retailers advertised that they specialized in turning old stockings (presumably those with worn-out heels and toes) into mitts (I have since lost the advertisement proclaiming this, but I have been informed by others that a reference to the same may be found in Linda Baumgarten's <i>What Clothes Reveal</i>, 2012. As I do not own this book, I cannot confirm whether this is true, nor provide a proper reference).<br /><br />My own mitts are hand-stitched together from pieces cut from the original cashmere sleeves, and the edges are whip-bound in silk floss. Cashmere, although available by the 18th century in the form of 'Kashmir' shawls, would not have been made into mitts. Additonally, mine are a bit workaday and cobbled-together for such a fine material (as compared with, for instance, the pink silk ones above). But they're shockingly warm for such a flimsy thing, and they look right, so for now they'll do.<br /><br /><em><strong>The Challenge:</strong></em> March - Stashbusting<br /> <strong><em>Fabric: </em></strong>frameknit cashmere sweater, silk floss (both from my stash)<br /> <strong><em>Pattern:</em></strong><em> </em>my arm<br /> <strong><em>Year: </em></strong>late 18th century (early 19th century versions don't often have the finger triangles)<br /> <em><strong>Notions: </strong></em>none<br /> <em><strong>How historically accurate is it?</strong></em> Eh, maybe 65-70%? I'm reasonably sure that frame-knit mitts of fine cream or ivory wool are period, and extant examples show edges occasionally bound in silk. However, mine are made of cashmere, which was not yet available in this form, and my silk edging isn't quite the same as that seen on extant mitts.<br /> <em><strong>Hours to complete:</strong></em> 4 or 5, with the edge-whipping and blocking<br /> <b><i>First worn:</i></b> around my house when I'm cold<br /> <em><strong>Total cost: </strong></em>$0, right now. A few years ago the silk floss cost about $25, and I have no idea what my mom paid for the sweater originally.<br /><br />A couple more photos:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CT_qCx7pRMw/VR2N60s7RkI/AAAAAAAAAWY/p8Ry7_Fh23Q/s1600/FullSizeRender(18).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CT_qCx7pRMw/VR2N60s7RkI/AAAAAAAAAWY/p8Ry7_Fh23Q/s1600/FullSizeRender(18).jpg" height="640" width="466" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D_9IyyPt3TI/VR2Qf0g5kwI/AAAAAAAAAWk/_iWDIyVilIU/s1600/FullSizeRender(15).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D_9IyyPt3TI/VR2Qf0g5kwI/AAAAAAAAAWk/_iWDIyVilIU/s1600/FullSizeRender(15).jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div><br />So there you have it! Somehow I managed to be late on this, even though I finished it over my March Break vacation. Sigh. And now I'm plunging into my 1770s stays, which I highly doubt will be done by the April challenge due date. Oh well. =) <br /><br /><br />Isabel Northwodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599702965185090050noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73382000944576885.post-52106437978110057602015-04-01T13:49:00.000-07:002015-04-01T13:50:13.767-07:00Blue 1876 Corset FinishedWell, the corset is finally finished. A month after the February challenge due date, but oh well.<br />I'll probably post another entry about the mockup process later, but for now:<br /><br /><i><b>The Challenge:</b></i> February - Blue<br /><b><i>Fabric:</i></b> Cotton herringbone coutil, factory cotton (lining), cotton twill (boning channels), silk taffeta<br /><b><i>Pattern:</i></b><i> </i><a href="http://www.geheugenvannederland.nl/?/nl/items/GMDH01:200003806/&amp;p=7&amp;i=1&amp;t=258&amp;st=1876&amp;sc=cql.serverChoice%20all%20%221876%22%20AND%20%28isPartOf%20any%20%22GMDH01%22%20%29/" target="_blank">this one</a>, from the De Gracieuse archives<br /><b><i>Year: </i></b>1876<br /><i><b>Notions:</b></i> Flat steel boning, a few cable ties, steel busk and grommets, white silk embroidery floss<br /><i><b>How historically accurate is it?</b></i> 85%? There are a few plastic bones where flexibility was needed, and the original likely contained whalebone rather than steel, which, although period-correct, is not really ideal for the curves of this shape. Additionally, because I had to use black coutil, I had to line it in factory cotton, which I have never seen in an original.<br /><i><b>Hours to complete:</b></i> Too many.<br /><b><i>First worn:</i></b> Today, for photos, in my living room<br /><i><b>Total cost:</b></i> About $30 for the bones and busk, and $15 for the silk.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.museumoflondonprints.com/image/140578/roxy-anne-caplin-blue-ribbed-silk-corset-19th-century" target="_blank">Here, at the Museum of London,</a> is my inspiration corset (there is a whole post about this further back, including a description of the changes I made to the pattern and my reasons for using an 1850s inspiration with an 1850s pattern).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lowres-picturecabinet.com.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/29/main/6/140578.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lowres-picturecabinet.com.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/29/main/6/140578.jpg" height="400" width="311" /></a></div><br />And here is my corset:<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-swVOqGQldt8/VRwfF0h-zkI/AAAAAAAAAU0/Vyq3wIsyBqo/s1600/FullSizeRender(19).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-swVOqGQldt8/VRwfF0h-zkI/AAAAAAAAAU0/Vyq3wIsyBqo/s1600/FullSizeRender(19).jpg" height="640" width="478" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-7CSsxY-y0hs%2FVRwfElNgEVI%2FAAAAAAAAAUk%2F8X2geDurizs%2Fs1600%2FFullSizeRender(15)%252Bcopy%252B-%252BVersion%252B2.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image%2F*" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7CSsxY-y0hs/VRwfElNgEVI/AAAAAAAAAUk/8X2geDurizs/s1600/FullSizeRender(15)%2Bcopy%2B-%2BVersion%2B2.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TUOF-oO2www/VRwjkwvoDGI/AAAAAAAAAVg/-hYX3i02Ot8/s1600/FullSizeRender(21)-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TUOF-oO2www/VRwjkwvoDGI/AAAAAAAAAVg/-hYX3i02Ot8/s1600/FullSizeRender(21)-2.jpg" height="640" width="478" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EFaqTBXvIM8/VRwfJcwBX9I/AAAAAAAAAVU/9T_K4aNyPd0/s1600/FullSizeRender(22).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EFaqTBXvIM8/VRwfJcwBX9I/AAAAAAAAAVU/9T_K4aNyPd0/s1600/FullSizeRender(22).jpg" height="640" width="478" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Please ignore both the Frankenlacing and my slightly odd posture in this photo; <br />I had limited time to get in place before the camera timer finished. =P</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-zNcxftg0r-s%2FVRwfFTXXIwI%2FAAAAAAAAAUs%2FD3vRZutAsmc%2Fs1600%2FFullSizeRender(15)%252Bcopy.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image%2F*" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zNcxftg0r-s/VRwfFTXXIwI/AAAAAAAAAUs/D3vRZutAsmc/s1600/FullSizeRender(15)%2Bcopy.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a><a href="https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-C_5e7H2YHAU%2FVRwfGv6GZVI%2FAAAAAAAAAVE%2FFv2bftxlGcY%2Fs1600%2FFullSizeRender(20).jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image%2F*" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C_5e7H2YHAU/VRwfGv6GZVI/AAAAAAAAAVE/Fv2bftxlGcY/s1600/FullSizeRender(20).jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; </div><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-xyTJufi-ICE%2FVRwfIRgkuzI%2FAAAAAAAAAVM%2FvBxYAfY8dG0%2Fs1600%2FFullSizeRender(22)%252B-%252BVersion%252B2.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image%2F*" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xyTJufi-ICE/VRwfIRgkuzI/AAAAAAAAAVM/vBxYAfY8dG0/s1600/FullSizeRender(22)%2B-%2BVersion%2B2.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a>&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-UyegoOGOIl0%2FVRwjlJh-l-I%2FAAAAAAAAAVk%2Fx_jDhlDYi08%2Fs1600%2FFullSizeRender(21).jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image%2F*" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UyegoOGOIl0/VRwjlJh-l-I/AAAAAAAAAVk/x_jDhlDYi08/s1600/FullSizeRender(21).jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I forgot to measure my waist while it was on this morning, so I have no measurements for you. Woops. But here's a comparison with my 1890s corset, which has an outside waist measurement of about 24" and an inner measurement of 23", with my natural waist being 26".<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7tO78qTp_2g/VRxR8SkxgwI/AAAAAAAAAWA/DpGWrR99E9g/s1600/FullSizeRender(19)mod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7tO78qTp_2g/VRxR8SkxgwI/AAAAAAAAAWA/DpGWrR99E9g/s1600/FullSizeRender(19)mod.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zDsNPe2WkWA/VRxRIuZCQlI/AAAAAAAAAV4/e0HQyj0bOVs/s1600/IMG_7759_crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zDsNPe2WkWA/VRxRIuZCQlI/AAAAAAAAAV4/e0HQyj0bOVs/s1600/IMG_7759_crop.jpg" height="400" width="287" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />As you can see, my ribs are far less swoopy in this corset than in my red corset: a conscious choice. The next project I have in mind for this corset is an 1840s gown, and I wanted to see if I could get the very long, straight torso that I see in fashion plates. I don't know if I'll repeat the experiment; I like having more breathing room. But I actually find the lower waist more comfortable, so the next corset will likely combine the blue corset's lower waist (especially in back) and added hip flare with the red corset's wider ribs.<br /><br />Isabel Northwodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599702965185090050noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73382000944576885.post-34092812287591463222015-03-26T19:12:00.000-07:002015-03-26T19:12:01.510-07:00Corset try-on, and TV show musingsHalf-done the flossing (well, maybe more like 2/3...woops. Meant to do a fitting before this). Before I finish flossing and binding it and go past the point of no return, I wanted to do a quick try-on to make sure that everything was as it should be.<br /><br />It fits great, and so far it's very comfortable! There's about a 4" lacing gap in back, which is fine - it's the end of the day, and I can usually lace down about 1" further if I do it in the morning, and lacing gaps tend to shrink as a corset gets broken in. So as long as I remember to put it on periodically and mold the fibers by wearing it for an hour or two, it will fit better and better.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fmVnTbSArx0/VRS6lDifK1I/AAAAAAAAAUI/0FQMgdKSoAA/s1600/FullSizeRender(15).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fmVnTbSArx0/VRS6lDifK1I/AAAAAAAAAUI/0FQMgdKSoAA/s1600/FullSizeRender(15).jpg" height="640" width="444" /></a></div><br />My main concern was that the only available busk was about 1" longer than I'd have strictly preferred, and I was worried that it would be uncomfortable to sit. But all is good!<br /><br />You'll have to excuse the awful selfies; there was no one else home to take photos. =P Thank goodness for split busks! I had to put in two laces to get it wide enough to do myself, though. &gt;.&gt;<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9e-h2busOVU/VRS6tWJD8pI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/qpuGlJvfuYw/s1600/FullSizeRender(16).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9e-h2busOVU/VRS6tWJD8pI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/qpuGlJvfuYw/s1600/FullSizeRender(16).jpg" height="640" width="416" /></a></div><br />I forgot to measure the waist when it was on, so the final reduction measurement will have to wait. Probably around 3-4" on the outside.<br /><br />Anyways, more flossing tomorrow and then binding, and it's done!<br /><br /><b>Also, in tv show news</b>: watching the first episode of <i>Turn: Washington's Spies</i> on Netflix and so far it's so-so. Couple of weird costumey things, as always - although fairly good, considering some of what's out there - but it's just not holding my interest. The new <i>Poldarck</i> is great, though! Aidan Turner *swoon* Ahem. But yeah, watch that. Although what was with Demelza's sack-thing for the first two episodes? Even the poorest folk would not be wearing a sack-shirt and a sack-skirt, especially once she's a maid. And then suddenly she gets stays out of nowhere. Which is good, but...weird. Oh well.<br /><br /><br />Isabel Northwodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599702965185090050noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73382000944576885.post-28117345331381594872015-03-24T14:58:00.001-07:002015-03-24T15:23:59.932-07:00The Lowlands of Holland: A new recording of an 18th century songAlongside being a costumer, I am a singer. And my favourite thing, of course, is period music. =) Folk songs, especially. I particularly like the pithy political ones (Cam Ye O'er Frae France is my all-time favourite at the moment) and laments about drowned lovers, press-gangs, ghost ships, faeries, and all things sad and creepy. <i>The Lowlands of Holland, </i>known originally as "The Sorrowfull Lover's Regrate" or "The Maid's Lament for Her Lost Love," combines a bit of the political with a lot of the sad lament, and appeals to my Dutch heritage, so I was eager to find the original lyrics and record it.<br /><br />You can find this and other songs on <a href="http://isabelnorthwode.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">my bandcamp page</a>, which I try to update whenever I have time to record things. I have no accompaniment or fancy recording equipment here in Halifax so this one's just a capella and untweaked, but hopefully people will enjoy it. I'm going to embed the song here so that you can listen as you read more about the song, if you so wish. It's quite long. It's worth listening to the end (or jumping to the end...), though, as it ends quite amusingly with a heartfelt prayer followed by the charmingly blunt "...I have no more to say."<br /><br /><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=7867724/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 442px; width: 350px;"><a href="http://isabelnorthwode.bandcamp.com/track/the-sorrowfull-lovers-regrate-or-the-low-lands-of-holland-1776">The Sorrowfull Lover's Regrate, or The Low-lands of Holland, 1776 by Isabel Northwode</a></iframe> <br />For quite a while I've been looking around for an original publication of the lyrics to <i>The Lowlands of Holland.</i> In this particular pamphlet, from 1776, the song was titled "The Sorrowfull Lover's Regrate, or The Low-lands of Holland," and it can be found in the Edinburgh library. My university, thankfully, gives me access to their 18th century collections online, and I was able to get a facsimile of the original page.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oHjJYBV2ebA/VRHbIySL9gI/AAAAAAAAATs/TGkTY6G-BmQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-03-24%2Bat%2B4.11.14%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oHjJYBV2ebA/VRHbIySL9gI/AAAAAAAAATs/TGkTY6G-BmQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-03-24%2Bat%2B4.11.14%2BPM.png" height="640" width="304" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Let me know if you want a higher-res version)</td></tr></tbody></table>Alas, the 1760 garland version referenced by early 20th century collectors is still nowhere to be found online, and of course earlier oral traditions, perhaps dating to the Anglo-Dutch Naval Wars of the 1670s (hinted at in alternative verses describing Holland as cold and full of money - European Holland - instead of warm and full of sugar cane - Surinam, Brazil, or some other part of New Holland), are now thoroughly lost.<br /><br />Many versions hint more strongly at the presence of a press-gang to force the young husband off to sea, and place the events more firmly within the context of a war. Yet this late-18th century version still provides a window into the lot of seafarers and their families, as well as British views of Holland's New-World territories as merely an extension of itself. The strong connection drawn here between Holland and its colonial territories (to the point where only the presence of sugar cane tells the listener that 'the Lowlands of Holland' are not Holland itself) is particularly interesting in light of the fact that Britain was, at that moment, losing a large chunk of its own territory in North America, and could no longer draw that strong connection between itself and the arms of its own empire. Yet the verses concerning Holland's strength on the sea and its expansive ambitions also illustrates strongly that Britain was much more concerned with the encroachments of other empires in Jamaica and the Caribbean than it was with the departing Americans.<br /><br />Hope you enjoyed it! My bandcamp page has a few other recordings on it (some medieval music, and one of my own compositions), and I'll be adding more to it as I find time to record things. I'll try to post here when I do.<br /><br />Isabel Northwodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599702965185090050noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73382000944576885.post-38383842626125037522015-03-22T15:13:00.000-07:002015-03-22T15:13:43.201-07:00Corset progress and some natural dyeingWell, I'm about 3 weeks late on HSF February: Blue, but I'm still plugging away. Here's what the corset looks like now (although I've actually finished removing all that white basting since taking the photo).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wFeP18oCpHI/VQ85JUKA9TI/AAAAAAAAAS0/BrLKHsIl-eA/s1600/IMG_9999_HD.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></div><br />This is the first photo I've managed to take which is actually true to the fabric colour; all the others have turned out either way too navy or way too purple. It matches my inspiration corset very well. I'm hoping to finish the boning channels tonight, set grommets in tomorrow, and then do the bindings and the flossing later this week. That might be a bit of a pipe dream, though. We'll see how it goes.<br /><br />In other news, dye class has finally turned its attention to natural dyes, and I've managed to wrangle an 18th century-colour-recreation element into the fairly strict parameters of the final project. In the mean time I've been sneaking little bundles of merino embroidery/lace-weight yarn into each of the class sample dye baths, to build up my library of natural-dyed embroidery flosses. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wntS-1qwIwE/VQ87STlEm4I/AAAAAAAAAS8/ZnaFZfdpqPI/s1600/FullSizeRender(14).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wntS-1qwIwE/VQ87STlEm4I/AAAAAAAAAS8/ZnaFZfdpqPI/s1600/FullSizeRender(14).jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clockwise from top left: onion skins, tea bags (very high concentration), cutch, lac, quebracho, orange marigold flowers.</td></tr></tbody></table>I'm now collecting images on pinterest of embroidered petticoats, quilted petticoats, jumps, and aprons. I think I'm going to dye some combination of silk yardage and flosses in order to make a couple of petticoat projects. The only problem is that all the silk petticoats are embroidered in silk floss (of course), and only linen petticoats seem to get wool crewelwork - and this seem to be with fairly chunky yarns. My merino floss is a very thin, light 2-ply, with a fair bit of sheen, and actually resembles my spun silk yarn more than the wool embroidery flosses I'm seeing. I may end up dyeing both the merino and the spun silk (filament silk is better, but I can't afford it), and making several petticoats. So far, the plan is:<br /><br />- Weld over-dyed with indigo for some emerald green silk yardage, to be used for a quilted petticoat based the one in Dalhousie's collection (which is currently my blog background image)<br />- Unknown dyestuffs for some "London Red" silk yardage, to be used as ribbons/puffs on caps, bonnets, and sundry accessories <br />- A selection of period colours in both wool and silk flosses, in order to embroider a petticoat/several petticoats/jumps/an apron/whatever I end up with enough floss of the correct fiber type to make.<br /><br />Anyways, things to think about. If anyone has two cents to add about 18th century embroidery in wool or silk, natural dyestuffs, fun things to embroider (things which will be seen, preferably - I'm not embroidering pockets and under-petticoats until the outer stuff is entirely encrusted in polychrome wonder), or other embroidery/dyeing-related advice, I welcome your input!<br /><br />Isabel Northwodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599702965185090050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73382000944576885.post-54476846339766980242015-02-22T07:42:00.003-08:002015-02-22T07:42:52.323-08:00HSF February: Blue - Mid-Victorian CorsetNow that the Regency ball is done, I've had time to work on my next project: an 1876 corset of blue silk, inspired by <a href="http://www.museumoflondonprints.com/image/140578/roxy-anne-caplin-blue-ribbed-silk-corset-19th-century" target="_blank">this one</a> from the 1850s:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lowres-picturecabinet.com.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/29/main/6/140578.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lowres-picturecabinet.com.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/29/main/6/140578.jpg" height="640" width="497" /></a></div><br />Now, obviously this corset is from the 1850s, and mine is from the 1870s, and I'll also be wearing it under my 1840s gown. Unfortunately I am a student and I don't have the resources to make as many corsets as I would really like to, so this is the way it has to be. The shape of the 1870s corset is quite similar to that of the earlier versions, and I've modified it a bit in order to get it closer to the intended silhouette. Moreover, the construction is not so different: it, like the 1850s corset above, has two bust gussets, a dip at the center front bustline, deep, low hips with a lot of flare, and a sharp curve in at the waist. I unfortunately don't have the bust required to pull off such a beautifully curvy silhouette, and my bust gussets can't extend so far down towards the waist, but there's evidence for shorter gussets, too, in corsets of all the periods I mentioned.<br /><br />It is re-drafted from <a href="http://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=urn:gvn:GMDH01:GRAC-15-02-016-002&amp;role=image&amp;size=largest" target="_blank">a pattern</a> in <a href="http://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=urn:gvn:GMDH01:GRAC-15-02-011-000&amp;role=image&amp;size=largest" target="_blank">the 1876 issue of De Gracieuse</a>, which is all in Dutch and lacks a high-resolution pattern online. Yay! (It's the bottom left-hand corset in the image linked above, but it won't be as long in front and it won't be quite so curvy at the bust - in fact, it will look a little more like the bottom right-hand corset.) <a href="http://augustintytar.blogspot.fi/search/label/gusseted%201870%27s%20corset" target="_blank">Before the Automobile</a> has actually made the same corset in the past, but I think our two versions will come out looking significantly different. It's always interesting to see how the same pattern morphs and changes on different body types. <br /><br />I don't have photos of the mockup on me, but here are shots of it lying flat:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EvOHCxEUedw/VOn052XYgWI/AAAAAAAAASI/Jxv0aqcbKoA/s1600/FullSizeRender(12).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EvOHCxEUedw/VOn052XYgWI/AAAAAAAAASI/Jxv0aqcbKoA/s1600/FullSizeRender(12).jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4_V6oe5pv-A/VOn07-xirlI/AAAAAAAAASQ/goBJHoJ2PKQ/s1600/FullSizeRender(13).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4_V6oe5pv-A/VOn07-xirlI/AAAAAAAAASQ/goBJHoJ2PKQ/s1600/FullSizeRender(13).jpg" height="640" width="480" />&nbsp;</a> </div><br />As you can see, I had to extend the waist a fair bit (about 2.5", actually - but I think I might take a half inch out again and extend it up at the top instead) as I have quite a long torso, both in modern terms and compared with smaller Victorian dimensions. I only extended it on one side, because I still need to cut a proper mockup in coutil, bone it with actual bones instead of loosely-stitched-on cable ties, and use a busk and full-length lacing (the only lacing strips I had on hand are very short).<br /><br />Thus, I consider this part way between a draping session and a first mockup - it was really just to get the pattern right, and now I'll begin actually fitting it.<br /><br />Mockup 2.0 will be done in coutil with some sort of plain-weave fashion fabric because this is the only way to get a really accurate read on how the final corset will behave. Like the final corset, the pieces will be roll-basted into slightly domed shapes before being stitched together, to help them conform to the curves required of them without wrinkling.<br /><br />I believe I underestimated the time this will take, as my last corset was the red 1890s, which had no gussets and thus needed only one mockup after the initial re-drafting process. Altogether it took only a week from drafting to flossing; I've already spent three-ish days on this one. So it might not be done in time for February's challenge, but I'll give it a shot, and at least post my progress.<br /><br />More soon!Isabel Northwodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599702965185090050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73382000944576885.post-57701724017248457002015-02-19T12:20:00.000-08:002015-02-19T12:20:54.754-08:001815 Ball GownSo, as some of you will recall, my January: Foundations entry was 1815 undergarments for a ball gown, which was to be worn on Valentines Day at a Regency ball here in Halifax. The ball was Saturday evening, and as of 4 am on Friday morning, my gown looked like this:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iECqU2p-MXA/VOY7IMG-uZI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/6MSBXdbCgps/s1600/10388181_1548294792119483_8633774441400555042_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iECqU2p-MXA/VOY7IMG-uZI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/6MSBXdbCgps/s1600/10388181_1548294792119483_8633774441400555042_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div><br />Promising, right?<br /><br />There was some discussion on my facebook page as to whether or not I would get it done (I'm pleased to report that people seemed to have faith in me), and although I determined that I would, I knew that it would likely be without sleep. But hell if I was going to miss the only regency event before I leave Nova Scotia, especially after putting so much work into the ensemble already!<br /><br />I put the bodice away at this point and got 2.5 hours of sleep before a full day of classes on Friday. I stitched much of the skirt during lectures and at singing practice, and when I got home around midnight I still had a couple of skirt seams and the cartridge pleating to do before I could even attach it to the bodice, let alone think about sleeves or a hem. Part of what was taking so long is that the sheer and fragile silk prevented me from leaving seams unfinished, even for one event.<br /><br />I worked through the night along with my roommate Breeze, who was also making her gown (by machine, which was smarter - but I can't bring myself to machine sew historical stuff, especially when the fabric is nice). By about 11 am the skirt was on and both sleeves were finished and set in. We went to the mall to get flats for the event, since neither of us had period or even period-ish shoes, and hurried home as fast as we could. I put on everything and we marked my hem. By now it was about 3:00, and we had to be ready by about 4:45. I pinned the gold binding around the hem while Breeze curled my hair and put her own into a bun. Then I put the gown aside and we used just about every bobby pin in the house to do each other's hair. At 4:45 we packed everything up - just in time, because our ride was out front.<br /><br />On the way to the event I stitched my hem, and the gown was finished.<br /><br />It is made of a sheer white striped silk organza base, with figured stripes of gold silk cut from a larger length of silk organza as trim. It's completely hand-stitched using silk thread, with lapped seams on the bodice and felled seams on the skirt, and a cartridge-pleated CB section. There's a linen lining in the bodice for strength, and linen tape to lace it up the back.<br /><br />It is worn over a cotton chemise, cotton short stays, a cotton petticoat, and a cotton drop-front undergown (see my January: Foundations post for these).<br /><br />Here are some photos taken at the event by Dianne Grant: <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GkaMqLQuRFk/VOY93eAfLCI/AAAAAAAAAQc/MBdMQ7-DbEg/s1600/10838144_10153149963740561_6807693753077087049_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GkaMqLQuRFk/VOY93eAfLCI/AAAAAAAAAQc/MBdMQ7-DbEg/s1600/10838144_10153149963740561_6807693753077087049_o.jpg" height="640" width="426" />&nbsp;</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e8PqH-eTncE/VOY-dIdpXcI/AAAAAAAAAQk/bHEnJ__An8U/s1600/10974297_10153149963735561_6070859921495713426_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e8PqH-eTncE/VOY-dIdpXcI/AAAAAAAAAQk/bHEnJ__An8U/s1600/10974297_10153149963735561_6070859921495713426_o.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My back hem got a little hiked up here - woops! It is actually level...</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-USwm8L1nn8k/VOY-snf0V9I/AAAAAAAAAQs/ctS229dXELM/s1600/10974593_10153149963955561_6482669566485622775_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-USwm8L1nn8k/VOY-snf0V9I/AAAAAAAAAQs/ctS229dXELM/s1600/10974593_10153149963955561_6482669566485622775_o.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DJDf0-l0W2s/VOY_uW7f8dI/AAAAAAAAARE/-X7p6psnb0o/s1600/10960396_10153149915940561_66856608834996187_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DJDf0-l0W2s/VOY_uW7f8dI/AAAAAAAAARE/-X7p6psnb0o/s1600/10960396_10153149915940561_66856608834996187_o.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm so proud of Breeze's hair! And she did an awesome job on mine.</td></tr></tbody></table>I'm wearing the gown with vintage ivory kid gloves and a lot of pearls (and we won't mention the shoes ever again). Oh - and fun silk clocked stockings (from AD) which only show when I'm dancing, or when Breeze and I are being silly. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-969M6FlyqO8/VOY_C6RrEUI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/fnsRc8_ciz0/s1600/10428608_10152597381817001_7530485956235017858_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-969M6FlyqO8/VOY_C6RrEUI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/fnsRc8_ciz0/s1600/10428608_10152597381817001_7530485956235017858_n.jpg" height="640" width="438" /></a></div><br />The evening was wonderful! In the 72 hours before the event, I spent only 2.5 hours sleeping, but somehow I had energy to dance and enjoyed myself very much. The excellent food, researched and made by some wonderful NSCC (I think?) students, perked me up a bit too. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VKEi6YFUhs0/VOY_cdE7O0I/AAAAAAAAAQ8/pt6Kowf2Pbs/s1600/10860988_10153150172025561_7473877964435655814_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VKEi6YFUhs0/VOY_cdE7O0I/AAAAAAAAAQ8/pt6Kowf2Pbs/s1600/10860988_10153150172025561_7473877964435655814_o.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Regency skirt-hike, or "wedgie pose"</td></tr></tbody></table>Here are some close-ups of the gown fabric, and of the eyelets in back (which are covered by trim but which are all nicely bound in silk thread and deserve a photo).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oQOvu1nY2N8/VOZB0O2imTI/AAAAAAAAARQ/FA01wGBzYsY/s1600/10675748_1550014518614177_5181708559966647556_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oQOvu1nY2N8/VOZB0O2imTI/AAAAAAAAARQ/FA01wGBzYsY/s1600/10675748_1550014518614177_5181708559966647556_n.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qREkzBWMYPI/VOZCFVQwhNI/AAAAAAAAARY/7dqeHfZfgZo/s1600/10891435_1548169528798676_856197594009090170_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qREkzBWMYPI/VOZCFVQwhNI/AAAAAAAAARY/7dqeHfZfgZo/s1600/10891435_1548169528798676_856197594009090170_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okay so I don't actually have any close-ups. But they exist! And they're tiny and even! =P</td></tr></tbody></table>At the end of the night, it took about 10 minutes to extricate all the bobby pins from each other's hair, and no wonder:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GeGAz_XlV84/VOZDAeuKq3I/AAAAAAAAARk/V2BE27bqGE4/s1600/1939467_10152597382112001_8925086309599243613_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GeGAz_XlV84/VOZDAeuKq3I/AAAAAAAAARk/V2BE27bqGE4/s1600/1939467_10152597382112001_8925086309599243613_n.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hc3dBsA4eu4/VOZDHXJ3bhI/AAAAAAAAARs/bSyLn6DQPI8/s1600/10953170_10152597382157001_2325479632963357559_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hc3dBsA4eu4/VOZDHXJ3bhI/AAAAAAAAARs/bSyLn6DQPI8/s1600/10953170_10152597382157001_2325479632963357559_n.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I will leave you with this stunningly elegant piece of admirable decorum, in the form of a selfie taken at the ball:<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9yN8MNAbHyQ/VOZEzyvLrBI/AAAAAAAAAR4/QPMYYmht0ws/s1600/10268682_10152597393082001_90506753835028622_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9yN8MNAbHyQ/VOZEzyvLrBI/AAAAAAAAAR4/QPMYYmht0ws/s1600/10268682_10152597393082001_90506753835028622_n.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We would do so well in the Regency.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />And now I'm working on my entry for February's challenge, "Blue," which is a new 1860s corset! Updates on that soon; I'm still in the fiddling-with-the-pattern stage.<br /><br /><br />Isabel Northwodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599702965185090050noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73382000944576885.post-15827515979011090352015-02-04T08:11:00.000-08:002015-02-04T08:11:17.819-08:00HSF January: Regency FoundationsIf you've just arrived to the HSM-nee-F party and aren't sure what's going on, you'll find a button on my sidebar which will take you to the page for the Historical Sew-Monthly (formerly the Historical Sew-Fortnightly) on Leimomi's blog 'The Dreamstress.' It's great fun!<br /><br />January's challenge was "Foundations," and I'm only a couple of days late! Well, four...but the stays and petticoat were both done by the second week of January, and the undergown was done on time except for one of the hem tucks and the sleeves; I just didn't have a chance to get photos until this morning. But anyways, here it all is.<br /><br />I interpreted 'foundations' fairly literally, as I made all the undergarments necessary for my 1815 ball gown, which needs to be ready by the 14th of this month (sdkjfkdsjf!!!). However, these garments also provide the 'foundation' for a whole new era in my wardrobe, as I have never done early 19th century before. To this end, I made each of the garments quite versatile, and able to cover everything from around 1800-1830. Everything is hand-stitched, and made as accurately as possible.<br /><br /><i><b>The Challenge: </b></i>Foundations<br /><br /><b><i>Fabric: </i></b>Mostly cotton, of several types and weights.<br /><br /><b><i>Pattern:</i></b><i> </i>All my own patterns, draped based on museum garments and with some pattern-shape cues from Janet Arnold.<br /><br /><b><i>Year: </i></b>1800-1830, but for my current purposes, 1815. The stays and petticoat are the most versatile; the undergown is best suited to around 1810-1830, as it is quite stiff and full.<br /><br /><i><b>Notions: </b></i>Cable ties for boning the stays and the lacing panels on the undergown, a wooden paint stick busk, some hooks and eyes on the petticoat, and a bunch of cotton twill tape.<br /><br /><i><b>How historically accurate is it? </b></i>Around 90%, I think. All the patterns are accurate and based on museum garments, the fabrics are accurate, everything is made of natural fibers, and I stitched everything by hand, but the boning is plastic and I did use polyester thread because I hate sewing with cotton and I didn't have any linen fine enough.<br /><br /><i><b>Hours to complete:</b></i> I never keep track. Not as long as I expected, actually. But a while.<br /><br /><b><i>First worn:</i></b> Only to take photos. But it will be worn on the 14th of February!<br /><br /><i><b>Total cost:</b></i> The undergown is around 3 yards of mercerized cotton at $5/yard, the petticoat is 2 yards of muslin at $2/yard, and the stays are entirely stash fabric. The paint stick was hanging out in my basement, the cable ties are from my considerable selection of various weights and widths, the hooks and eyes and thread were all stash, and the cotton twill tape was purchased for about $10 altogether. So for the entire set, around $29 Canadian. Pretty good!<br /><br />And here are some photos!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mTDjo9e63uQ/VNI-Zo_X9JI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/B1GZQPc0du8/s1600/ShortStays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mTDjo9e63uQ/VNI-Zo_X9JI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/B1GZQPc0du8/s1600/ShortStays.jpg" height="640" width="494" /></a></div>Stays - began stitching December 27, finished in the first week of January. <br /><br /><br />I put a blog post up about the short stays and the petticoat about a week ago, so you can click back a couple of entries if you want to see worse photos but more information on those. =)<br /><br />Right now I'm being lazy and just posting the pages from my portfolio, because they're all nice and formatted with the best photos, but if you're curious about construction photos or shots of the insides, please do let me know and I'm happy to post a few! <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pOpvbRSf4jo/VNI-it4tE-I/AAAAAAAAAMY/g6DU9Dmx66Y/s1600/RegencyPetticoat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pOpvbRSf4jo/VNI-it4tE-I/AAAAAAAAAMY/g6DU9Dmx66Y/s1600/RegencyPetticoat.jpg" height="640" width="494" /></a></div>Petticoat - began stitching in the first week of January, and finished about four days later.<br /><br />The bodice is double-layered, and the skirt is a single, very sheer layer. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />These photos are from a photoshoot I did with my friend Greta, who was lovely enough to come over and take good photos for me even though she's super busy. I'm afraid the photos of the undergown are not nearly so nice.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CcmCMhGHJC8/VNJAPA9TwwI/AAAAAAAAAMk/S9XJtPFcUvM/s1600/FullSizeRender(13).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CcmCMhGHJC8/VNJAPA9TwwI/AAAAAAAAAMk/S9XJtPFcUvM/s1600/FullSizeRender(13).jpg" height="640" width="340" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mfzbKXUDBko/VNJAP_p2pII/AAAAAAAAAMs/SDCUK91Z-Qk/s1600/FullSizeRender(14).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mfzbKXUDBko/VNJAP_p2pII/AAAAAAAAAMs/SDCUK91Z-Qk/s1600/FullSizeRender(14).jpg" height="640" width="344" /></a></div>Undergown - began stitching about half way through January, and finished yesterday. Made of 3 or 4 yards of mercerized cotton (I actually can't remember how much...woops). Drop-front construction with lacing under the bib and a tucked hem. Hand-stitched. Made so it can be worn under both day and evening gowns. This was my first ever attempt at the bib-front construction, and although there are a couple of things I would change next time, I'm pretty happy with it.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sbSeRraPeZo/VNJAV0nyLjI/AAAAAAAAAM8/yPYb_UJKvi0/s1600/FullSizeRender(15).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sbSeRraPeZo/VNJAV0nyLjI/AAAAAAAAAM8/yPYb_UJKvi0/s1600/FullSizeRender(15).jpg" height="640" width="346" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Below, you can see a close-up of the front when all done up (sorry for having the tie in front; I had no one to help me and I can't get it tight enough behind my own back), and a photo of just the lacing under the bib done up, with all the other pieces and ties hanging loose. First the back piece wraps forward, and the twill ties go through little thread loops along the bottom of the bodice to tie at center front. Then the front comes up, the bib gets pinned through all the layers at the top (I pin it right through to the stays straps to keep everything in place), the ties go through more little thread loops along the back bodice edge, and tie (usually) at center back.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kk37gsROCSE/VNJAUHKCi1I/AAAAAAAAAM0/uaRZiwjpmfM/s1600/FullSizeRender(12).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kk37gsROCSE/VNJAUHKCi1I/AAAAAAAAAM0/uaRZiwjpmfM/s1600/FullSizeRender(12).jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4lXQ6YnA5jo/VNJAWQ9Cd8I/AAAAAAAAANA/g-SClWCP9a0/s1600/FullSizeRender(16).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4lXQ6YnA5jo/VNJAWQ9Cd8I/AAAAAAAAANA/g-SClWCP9a0/s1600/FullSizeRender(16).jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br /><br />Overall, I'm quite happy with everything. I guess the true test will be in 10 days, when I put the finished ball gown over top of everything...<br /><br /><br />Isabel Northwodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599702965185090050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73382000944576885.post-84770904415870261632015-01-16T20:17:00.000-08:002015-01-16T20:22:47.502-08:00Regency Progress<br /><div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Petticoat" src="http://images.metmuseum.org/CRDImages/ci/web-large/CI64.26.3_F.jpg" /> </div><br />Well, all three of my dear followers, you get another post.<br /><br />Last night I finished my Regency bodiced petticoat and took some photos. They're really horrible quality photos, due to my not owning a better camera than the one in my phone, but you'll get an idea, at least. <br /><br />This is a continuation of the HSF's January "Foundations" challenge, and is part of the ensemble for the 1815 ball gown (Deadline for that: February 13).<br /><br />The bodiced petticoat is loosely based on <a href="http://metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/81577?rpp=30&amp;pg=4&amp;ft=petticoat&amp;when=A.D.+1800-1900&amp;pos=111" target="_blank">this one</a>, from the Met (left), although I did not slavishly recreate it. My fabric was cotton gauze, instead of stiffer linen, and I wanted the waistline low enough that it will allow for a slim-fitting gown in front (ie, no extra fabric there to force the skirts outwards - I want them to hang close to the waist for as long as they can) but contribute to volume in the back (ie, lots of pleats). I also ignored the tucks at the bottom, because I didn't have enough yardage, and the lace, because I don't really have time for extra bits right now. However, overall, the construction and shape are the same as the museum piece. It's more a corset cover than anything; the gauze is too flimsy to do much in the way of shaping the heavier fabrics that will go over top. My underdress will have a stronger constitution, with a slightly higher waistline and tucks for bottom volume.<br /><br /><br />Anyways, here it is, worn over my new short stays and my *cough*1850s-60s*cough* chemise. Again, sorry for the awful photo quality, and also for the black pants underneath - it's all a bit see-through.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jVg0vRgDDxE/VLnfP8xXjCI/AAAAAAAAALs/-RUoLm2VkFo/s1600/FullSizeRender(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jVg0vRgDDxE/VLnfP8xXjCI/AAAAAAAAALs/-RUoLm2VkFo/s1600/FullSizeRender(2).jpg" height="640" width="332" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n90UGcRjFN8/VLnfM6agi7I/AAAAAAAAALc/TNQNl6bBgU4/s1600/FullSizeRender(3)%2Bcopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n90UGcRjFN8/VLnfM6agi7I/AAAAAAAAALc/TNQNl6bBgU4/s1600/FullSizeRender(3)%2Bcopy.jpg" height="640" width="272" /></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FIJGLc0TnoI/VLnfOSDBlQI/AAAAAAAAALk/k4-qJK7GeHY/s1600/FullSizeRender(4)%2Bcopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FIJGLc0TnoI/VLnfOSDBlQI/AAAAAAAAALk/k4-qJK7GeHY/s1600/FullSizeRender(4)%2Bcopy.jpg" height="640" width="368" /></a></div><br />It's held together with a tie at the back waist and two sets of hooks and eyes. The original has self-fabric buttons, by the looks of things, but hooks and eyes have less bulk and I really didn't fancy the prospect of making buttons out of the gauze.<br /><br />&nbsp;The back panel is 30-some inches wide with a little placket at CB, and all that length is pleated into the space between the two side-back seams, so lots of volume there. I also went with a pretty deep V in back because I'm not yet sure how low the back neckline of my ball gown will be.<br /><br />This petticoat could work for 1820s or even early 1830s gowns, too, which is nice. I like versatility in my foundation pieces.<br /><br />On to the undergown!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DtJJuHCwtFM/VLnfQ910hSI/AAAAAAAAAL0/o3fNH0kCojs/s1600/FullSizeRender(5).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DtJJuHCwtFM/VLnfQ910hSI/AAAAAAAAAL0/o3fNH0kCojs/s1600/FullSizeRender(5).jpg" height="640" width="366" /></a></div><br /><br />Isabel Northwodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599702965185090050noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73382000944576885.post-71168110539326376242015-01-15T14:14:00.000-08:002015-01-16T20:17:53.390-08:00Looking Ahead to 2015, and 1815 ball gown plansWell, since I've begun here by posting what I completed in 2014, I might as well add what I'm planning on doing in 2015. These posts are always fun to put together, but I find they usually fall apart about a month later when life intervenes or a new event is announced and suddenly you're sewing new things you'd never even planned on and everything else has gone out the window.<br /><br />That's what happened two months ago, actually, when I heard about the Regency Ball on Valentines Day. I've never done Regency before, so the 1840s gown I've been working on had to go on hold. In light of this, the Regency gown and the 1840s will be the first two things on my list for this year, and they're definites: I have the fabric and I've begun working on them. The Regency ensemble nicely fits into the HSF's January challenge, Foundations, since I started working on my stays over Christmas and have to make every other type of foundation before February 14. The copper 1840s gown would fit really nicely with one of the challenges this fall, Brown, but I'd really like to have it done before then...<br /><br /><br /><b>The Real List</b><br /><br />- 1815 white and gold silk Regency ball gown, plus cotton undergown, modified shoes, and other accoutrements<br /><br />- 1850s-ish (might become an 1860s) corset to replace the Lavinia H. Foy 1868 patent corset I made years ago, which has finally given out. I really need to stop wearing my 1890s corset with earlier stuff. And I'd rather not finalize my 1840s-50s bodice pattern until I have a proper corset to go under it. <br /><br />- 1840s copper silk-cotton day dress with removable sleeves and additional pelerines for wearing as a slightly-behind-the-times-Rural-Ontario dress for the 1850s-60s. The waistlines are quite different for these periods, but based on some of the more rural day dresses I've seen it's not impossible to have a plain gown that, with, interchangeable berthas, pelerines, and sleeves, could be reasonable for each decade. <br /><br /><br /><b>The Wish List</b><br /><br />- A light blue Edwardian girl's dress for regular wearing for HSF February (Blue). If anyone's seen Tin Man, I'm thinking something a little like Young Azkadellia's dress from the Finaqua scenes, but with some influence from Little Red's dress in the new Into the Woods<br />- An 18th century quilted petticoat, finally (I've been planning this for two years now and it still hasn't happened)<br /><b>- </b>Edwardian corset from "hearts" patent<br />- Edwardian lace tea gown (I actually have part of a bolt of lace for this - I just don't have time for it right now)<br />- 1830s day dress for the Lowell Mill sew-along going on on facebook right now<br />- Something for each of the HSF challenges<br />- The 5 or 6 other corsets I've been eyeing (hah)<br />- A black wool and velvet English fitted gown from the mid/late 16th century - but now we're really getting into the "wishful" category.<br /><br />I'll post more on the other projects as I get to them, but for now, here's a look at the 1815 project.<br /><br /><br /><b>The 1815 Ball Gown</b> <br /><br />The gown is loosely inspired by this one, on display at the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto in their "Fashion Victims" exhibit:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n2ZMeFs_7Dk/VLgthYtsM5I/AAAAAAAAAKI/SEIo-r_bFi4/s1600/IMG_8682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n2ZMeFs_7Dk/VLgthYtsM5I/AAAAAAAAAKI/SEIo-r_bFi4/s1600/IMG_8682.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-29wHTmp7ne0/VLgtormetlI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/qZKdiANOC8M/s1600/IMG_8687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-29wHTmp7ne0/VLgtormetlI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/qZKdiANOC8M/s1600/IMG_8687.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div><br />However, it will be more closely based on these, which have the diagonal details on the bodice and various incarnations of stripes:<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x5fZjsOPwF4/VLgxx5DilBI/AAAAAAAAAK8/GzQ4CnbeitQ/s1600/dc0f606306b735798a6fc0a2ea10d909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x5fZjsOPwF4/VLgxx5DilBI/AAAAAAAAAK8/GzQ4CnbeitQ/s1600/dc0f606306b735798a6fc0a2ea10d909.jpg" height="640" width="425" /></a></div>&nbsp;&lt;--- Silk gauze dress, 1806-1809. The main body and sleeves of my gown will be in a white sheer silk organza with the same teensy little opaque dimity stripes - they're about 1/16th of an inch wide. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3vEQhvSmIJI/VLgxxdKVTXI/AAAAAAAAAKs/oV-q2SdzMXo/s1600/9d3786dc27f62d41897f2f50eac67d5c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3vEQhvSmIJI/VLgxxdKVTXI/AAAAAAAAAKs/oV-q2SdzMXo/s1600/9d3786dc27f62d41897f2f50eac67d5c.jpg" height="640" width="363" /></a></div>&lt;--- This is what I'm basing my bodice off of. It's blue pleats with tiny little folds of white silk net inserted between each pleat and sewn down. My inserts will be strips of figured gold silk organza, inspired by the figured gold silk edges on the gown in the Bata. <br /><a href="https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-ERyH6KL7GBw%2FVLgxw5ThsuI%2FAAAAAAAAAKk%2FRib78WKg4ag%2Fs1600%2F6ba334bafd53f5c0512e403ef68303d2.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image%2F*" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ERyH6KL7GBw/VLgxw5ThsuI/AAAAAAAAAKk/Rib78WKg4ag/s1600/6ba334bafd53f5c0512e403ef68303d2.jpg" height="320" width="160" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ---&gt;<br />This is a white and gold silk gown from 1804-1814, held at the Met. It has the sort of stiff fabric and slim fit in front which I am aiming for (although it's hard to tell when it's laid out flat because the pleats in the back push the skirt out to the sides).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XeTsWnhkFTQ/VLgxxnJXjAI/AAAAAAAAAKw/xTYh1r87gww/s1600/cc6af8ea49f0e3888291ee5d629afcd6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XeTsWnhkFTQ/VLgxxnJXjAI/AAAAAAAAAKw/xTYh1r87gww/s1600/cc6af8ea49f0e3888291ee5d629afcd6.jpg" height="320" width="217" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZeyIGMNez_o/VLgxw3xjtaI/AAAAAAAAAKc/jRDkpVwrEHw/s1600/503c39fd37629ac3421a323e02ec0abf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZeyIGMNez_o/VLgxw3xjtaI/AAAAAAAAAKc/jRDkpVwrEHw/s1600/503c39fd37629ac3421a323e02ec0abf.jpg" /></a><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--I8ZbZUDrhU/VLgxxsSnSQI/AAAAAAAAALE/7FkHTjuCPks/s1600/ae52f5aa810135a218f90d33efeb7dc1.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7SyjlVIHUSE/VLgxwyvCPZI/AAAAAAAAAKg/PJn4_J5Pp5M/s1600/5d7934bdf41b68cf76e99851ac75e7ef.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7SyjlVIHUSE/VLgxwyvCPZI/AAAAAAAAAKg/PJn4_J5Pp5M/s1600/5d7934bdf41b68cf76e99851ac75e7ef.jpg" height="320" style="cursor: move;" width="230" /></a></div>Above, left, is a fashion plate for a bridal dress from 1816. Ackermann. More little white-on-white stripes!<br /><br />Above, middle, is a French evening gown from 1815, worn by Empress Josephine. This has the lower waistline which I prefer, and will be mimicking. No heavy beading and pearls for me, though, alas.<br /><br />Above, right, is a striped silk dress from 1815, held at the Nordiska Museet. Stripes!<br /><br />And finally, right, a fashion plate for a ball gown from 1819, this one not only striped but also sporting a stiff silk organza skirt. This one still has quite a high bodice, which is unusual for such a late gown. I will be ignoring that part of the design. =P<br /><br /><br />So, that's the plan for my Regency gown. White/sheer and gold silks with vertical woven-in stripes in the main fabric and diagonal gold pleats in the bodice. I have finished the stays and have only one more hook and eye to add to the bodiced petticoat. I'll buy fabric for the undergown tomorrow, drape it on Saturday (if I can drag my butt to the studio), and begin stitching asap. I have all my silks, and exactly one month from yesterday until the ball. Crossing my fingers that this is enough!Isabel Northwodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599702965185090050noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73382000944576885.post-75868962460830936762015-01-14T15:38:00.002-08:002015-01-15T14:17:32.750-08:002014 in Review, and a new blog!Welcome to my new blogspot! This is mostly cross-posted from my LiveJournal entry, but with more photos. I thought it might be a good way to begin this blog.<br /><br />I have added in extra photos of my Louisbourg project, including stays, francaise, and stomacher. The full dress diary for those can be found <a data-cke-saved-href="http://peryn-wn.livejournal.com/6360.html" href="http://peryn-wn.livejournal.com/6360.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br /><br /><b>Completed in January:&nbsp;</b><br /><br />- Louisbourg stays of wool twill, lined in linen and bound in leather, with metal boning - entirely hand-stitched. (1740s stays from Norah Waugh.) Since these photos, they have been re-laced front and back with linen tapes, and 1/4" linen tape has also been passed through the eyelets to strengthen them.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5qgYPanJfcw/VLb1fxRxfpI/AAAAAAAAAIk/ugIJhzPsGDI/s1600/CloseFrontStays1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5qgYPanJfcw/VLb1fxRxfpI/AAAAAAAAAIk/ugIJhzPsGDI/s1600/CloseFrontStays1.jpg" height="400" width="316" /></a></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rt58aR5zuao/VLb1gBsZ0dI/AAAAAAAAAIg/J-N4EDS6crc/s1600/CloseBackStays1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rt58aR5zuao/VLb1gBsZ0dI/AAAAAAAAAIg/J-N4EDS6crc/s1600/CloseBackStays1.jpg" height="400" width="305" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rXifQVNL0ok/VLb55ke65FI/AAAAAAAAAJE/1MXKu_zum_s/s1600/IMG_7888%2Bcopy_smaller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rXifQVNL0ok/VLb55ke65FI/AAAAAAAAAJE/1MXKu_zum_s/s1600/IMG_7888%2Bcopy_smaller.jpg" height="640" width="369" /></a></div>(And here's an awful photo of all of the undergarments together! Chemise, stays, and hoop, all hand-stitched. Stockings from American Duchess. Shoes made over from 1940s thrift store shoes.) <br /><br /><br /><b><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Completed in February:</b><br /><br />- Smokey purple wool petticoat for under the silk petticoat of the Louisbourg gown (you can see it worn with the 1770s caraco down in September). <br /><br />- 1530s English kirtle of red wool and silk velvet with silk velvet sleeves, entirely hand-stitched, worn with a black wool partlet lined in white linen, also hand stitched. All of this was made in one week before an event, because I decided I needed accurate Tudor clothing for the Renaissance theme.<br /><br /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/37583/37583_original.jpg" href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/37583/37583_original.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-cke-saved-src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/37583/37583_600.jpg" src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/37583/37583_600.jpg" height="503" width="400" /></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Completed in March:</b><br /><br />Nothing actually finished. I was plugging away at the Louisbourg gown and stomacher.<br /><br /><b><br />Completed in April:</b><br /><br />- Louisbourg gown, petticoat, and stomacher! There's far too much info on these to put here; a link to the LiveJournal dress diary is above. Suffice to say the gown is entirely hand-stitched of pomegranate-dyed silk and the stomacher is hand-embroidered by me using naturally-dyed silks hand-reeled by my friend Greta from silk worms she raised. Based on the 1725 Robe a la Francaise in the LACMA.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jP1hPBmu_Vo/VLb2ZoBIh1I/AAAAAAAAAIw/cWclrO1p_CM/s1600/Retouched2-25a_best.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jP1hPBmu_Vo/VLb2ZoBIh1I/AAAAAAAAAIw/cWclrO1p_CM/s1600/Retouched2-25a_best.jpg" height="640" width="404" /></a></div>Photo taken at Government House in Halifax. The book I'm holding is from 1720, so I couldn't resist bringing it along. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--pjuISrP1Zs/VLb2anbMNCI/AAAAAAAAAI4/s_HkKUDVrE8/s1600/StomachersSideBySide1_Smaller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--pjuISrP1Zs/VLb2anbMNCI/AAAAAAAAAI4/s_HkKUDVrE8/s1600/StomachersSideBySide1_Smaller.jpg" height="330" width="400" /></a></div>This stomacher was my first piece of embroidery. I began between Christmas and New Years last year, and finished in early April.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />- 1840s tucked petticoat (entirely hand-stitched of cotton twill and cotton eyelet; cartridge-pleated onto waistband with hook and eye closure) - I need better photos of this! Remind me never to hand-stitch this many tucks on a 150" hem again. <br /><br /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/35924/35924_original.jpg" href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/35924/35924_original.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-cke-saved-src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/35924/35924_600.jpg" src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/35924/35924_600.jpg" height="600" width="400" /></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Completed in May:</b><br /><br />- Nothing completed, but everything was sewn on the 1770s caraco except the hem and I'd begun to paint it (see September).<br /><br /><br /><b>Completed in June:</b><br /><br />- 1850s/1860s pin-tucked chemise (entirely hand-stitched of very fine cotton batiste with two types of cotton lace) - please excuse the HORRIBLE bathroom selfie photo of this (I'm so embarrassed to post this!) - I need new photos of all my recent things.<br /><br /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/35465/35465_original.jpg" href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/35465/35465_original.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-cke-saved-src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/35465/35465_600.jpg" src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/35465/35465_600.jpg" height="592" width="400" /></a><br /><br /><b><br />Completed in July:</b><br /><br />Nothing. Working too much.<br /><br /><br /><b>Completed in August:</b><br /><br />- 1840s corded petticoat (entirely hand-stitched of cotton organdy and cotton cording; cartridge-pleated onto waistband with tie closure; based on museum examples from the 1830s and 1840s). The 90" hem on this is based on extant petticoats, and I think it's the outer limit in terms of hem length - even at 90" it flutes in on itself a bit when other petticoats go over it.<br /><br /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/35602/35602_original.jpg" href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/35602/35602_original.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-cke-saved-src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/35602/35602_600.jpg" src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/35602/35602_600.jpg" title="" /></a><br /><br /><br />- Another 1840s petticoat, much plainer (no tucks; just a large hem), of white cotton broadcloth, cartridge-pleated onto waistband with hook and eye closure<br /><br /><br /><b>Completed in September:</b><br /><br />- 1770s Dutch ensemble (hand-stitched caraco jacket of cotton I hand-painted, with hand-stitched petticoats; the hat in the Citadel photos was not made by me. Fichu is a store-bought printed handkerchief with green dye painted in by me to make it match my colour scheme better, and a green border dyed by me and hand-stitched on so that it ties in the back).<br /><br /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/38592/38592_original.jpg" href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/38592/38592_original.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-cke-saved-src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/38592/38592_600.jpg" src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/38592/38592_600.jpg" height="608" width="400" /></a><br /><br /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/38706/38706_original.jpg" href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/38706/38706_original.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-cke-saved-src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/38706/38706_600.jpg" src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/38706/38706_600.jpg" height="653" width="400" /></a>&nbsp;&nbsp; So much yardage needed painting!<br /><br /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/37783/37783_original.jpg" href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/37783/37783_original.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-cke-saved-src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/37783/37783_600.jpg" src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/37783/37783_600.jpg" height="534" width="400" /></a>&nbsp; At the Halifax Citadel Encampment<br /><br /><img alt="" data-cke-saved-src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/37944/37944_600.jpg" src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/37944/37944_600.jpg" height="534" width="400" /><br /><br />Also: pockets! Hand-stitched, linen-cotton with linen lining and cotton binding.<br /><br /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/34950/34950_original.jpg" href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/34950/34950_original.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-cke-saved-src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/34950/34950_600.jpg" src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/34950/34950_600.jpg" title="" /></a> <br /><br /><br /><b>Completed in October:</b><br /><br />- 1770s silk-cotton brocade jacket to wear with the Louisbourg stomacher. Somehow, I still haven't taken any photos of the finished product. I'll be wearing it to an even later this month, so I'll post some then. I swear it has sleeves now...<br /><br /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/39441/39441_original.jpg" href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/39441/39441_original.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-cke-saved-src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/39441/39441_600.jpg" src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/39441/39441_600.jpg" height="534" width="400" /></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Completed in November:</b><br /><br />- Green velvet 15th century German "house book" gown with grand assiette sleeves and linen wulsthaube headdress, entirely hand-stitched, with cut brass details up the front, and red leather shoes with cutouts, hand-stitched in period turn-shoe technique. The shoes were finished last year, but I'm including them here because I haven't posted photos before.<br /><br /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/36752/36752_original.jpg" href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/36752/36752_original.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-cke-saved-src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/36752/36752_600.jpg" src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/36752/36752_600.jpg" height="711" width="400" /></a><br /><br />Here you can see the grand assiette sleeves:<br /><br /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/41163/41163_original.jpg" href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/41163/41163_original.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-cke-saved-src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/41163/41163_600.jpg" src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/41163/41163_600.jpg" height="535" width="400" /></a><br /><br />And a close up of the back pleats:<br /><br /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/36938/36938_original.jpg" href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/36938/36938_original.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-cke-saved-src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/36938/36938_600.jpg" src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/36938/36938_600.jpg" height="226" width="400" /></a><br /><br />The demiceinte belt is leather covered in black silk, with brass belt ends purchased from a brass-smith in the Ukraine:<br /><br /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/41419/41419_original.jpg" href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/41419/41419_original.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-cke-saved-src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/41419/41419_600.jpg" src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/41419/41419_600.jpg" height="534" width="400" /></a><br /><br />As I said, the shoes were finished over a year ago, but I've never posted photos before. This photo is from when the shoes were half-finished; there is cutwork done on both now and there is an extra leather sole on the inside to cover the seam allowances.<br /><br /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/37156/37156_original.jpg" href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/37156/37156_original.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-cke-saved-src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/37156/37156_600.jpg" src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/37156/37156_600.jpg" height="534" width="400" /></a><br /><br /><br />- Viking Norse garb for a commission, based on archaeological finds (skjoldehamn hood made of wool and hand-stitched with the same seam finishes and decorative stitching as the original, linen thorsbjerg trousers cut based on the original find but machine-stitched, linen tunic cut geometrically the historical way but machine-stitched):<br /><br /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/39760/39760_original.jpg" href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/39760/39760_original.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-cke-saved-src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/39760/39760_600.jpg" src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/39760/39760_600.jpg" height="658" width="400" /></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Completed in December:</b><br /><br />ALL THE YARN<br /><br />- medieval pavy weave wool and silk:<br /><br /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/40122/40122_original.jpg" href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/40122/40122_original.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-cke-saved-src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/40122/40122_600.jpg" src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/40122/40122_600.jpg" height="534" width="400" /></a>&nbsp; Blue wool warp / gold silk weft.<br /><br /><br />- Mittens! These aren't historical, really, although they'd work for turn of the 20th century (there were lots of mittens like this from the 1840s on, but with much smaller-repeat patterns on the front), but they were my first crack at colour stranding and I'm really proud of them, so they're going in!<br /><br /><img alt="IMG_8154" data-cke-saved-src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/40279/40279_600.jpg" src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/40279/40279_600.jpg" height="534" title="IMG_8154" width="400" /><br /><br /><img alt="IMG_8155" data-cke-saved-src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/40537/40537_600.jpg" src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/40537/40537_600.jpg" height="534" title="IMG_8155" width="400" /><br /><br /><br />- 7 yards of 35" wide red wool for an under-petticoat and a blanket for reenacting (was originally going to be an 18th century cloak, but it's really too coarse a weave and I can't get it to felt properly - but it will be enough to make a really warm winter under-petticoat and a lovely blanket!)<br /><br /><img alt="IMG_8561" data-cke-saved-src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/40923/40923_600.jpg" src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/40923/40923_600.jpg" height="534" title="IMG_8561" width="400" /> <br /><br /><b><br />Completed just after New Years:</b><br /><br />These were mostly made over the Christmas break, so I'm including them. =P<br /><br />- 1820s wrap stays front and back (entirely hand-stitched of various cotton layers, based on examples in the Met and the Kyoto Institute) - more about these can be found on my facebook page because I was too lazy to post it to my journal. Once I finish the full set of foundation garments for this outfit - which are my January: Foundations entry to the HSF (well, the Historical Sew-Monthly now) 2015 - I will post a full write-up.<br /><br /><a data-cke-saved-href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/36182/36182_original.jpg" href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/36182/36182_original.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-cke-saved-src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/36182/36182_600.jpg" src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/36182/36182_600.jpg" height="535" width="400" /></a><br /><br /><img alt="" data-cke-saved-src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/36403/36403_600.jpg" src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/peryn_wn/50855507/36403/36403_600.jpg" height="627" width="400" /><br /><br /><br />Hope you enjoyed this! I find I much prefer this platform to LiveJournal, and since a lot of the bloggers I like to follow are on blogspot, it makes it a lot easier to see what they've been doing. <br /><br />You can also find me on facebook at Isabel Northwode Costumes - all my little updates, daily costume musings, and funny costuming things from around the web get posted there.<br /><br />Thanks for reading!Isabel Northwodehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599702965185090050noreply@blogger.com3